Ukrainian delegation from the Bring Kids Back UA initiative met His Holiness Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican.

Today, a Ukrainian delegation from the Bring Kids Back UA initiative, including children who survived Russia’s unlawful deportation, met His Holiness Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican.

During the audience, the children delivered a letter from President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, appealing for the Vatican’s support in helping secure the return of every Ukrainian child still held by Russia.

The delegation also joined a Mass for Peace in Ukraine, held in memory of Holodomor victims and in prayer for all Ukrainians still in captivity, and met with Cardinal Matteo Zuppi to discuss further cooperation in securing releases.

We are sincerely grateful to His Holiness for his moral leadership, his compassion, and his steadfast calls for a just peace and the safe return of all Ukrainian children taken by Russia. His voice gives hope to thousands of families still waiting.