Pope Leo XIV and U.S. Vice President JD Vance are meeting ahead of a flurry of U.S.-led diplomatic efforts to make progress on a ceasefire in Ukraine.

Pope Leo XIV has met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy after his inaugural Mass in the Vatican, where he delivered a message of love and unity to a crowd of 200,000 pilgrims. “We thank the Vatican for its willingness to serve as a platform for direct negotiations between Ukraine and Russia.

The Trump administration seeks to improve ties, by working together on resolving the war in Ukraine and de-emphasizing disagreements over U.S. migrant policy.