Zelenskyy to hold meeting with Pope during G7 summit
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will meet with Pope Francis tomorrow, June 14th, during the G7 summit in Apulia, Italy, according to Vatican News.
The Pope will arrive at the summit venue by helicopter around 12:30 local time. He will be greeted there by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
The pontiff will then be transported to the residential complex chosen for the summit, where he will hold his first series of bilateral meetings:
- with IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva,
- with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy,
- with French President Emmanuel Macron,
- with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Additionally, the Pope has scheduled talks with US President Joe Biden, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Francis will also become the first Pope to address a G7 summit.
Scandalous statements of the Pope
The Pope has repeatedly made scandalous statements regarding Russia's war against Ukraine.
In particular, the pontiff suggested that Ukraine should have the "courage of the white flag" and dare to start negotiations with Russia. This sparked sharp criticism from the Ukrainian government and clergy.
More details on the scandal can be found in the material by RBC-Ukraine.