Pope Francis has called for negotiations between Ukraine and Russia to end the war triggered by Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. In his traditional Christmas Day address, the Pope said "boldness [was] needed to open the door" to dialogue "in order to achieve a just and lasting peace" between the two sides.

Pope Francis in his Christmas message on Wednesday called for talks between Ukraine and Russia to end the war that followed Moscow's full-scale invasion two years ago and has killed tens of thousands.

Pope Francis called for 'arms to be silenced' around the world in his Christmas address on Wednesday, appealing for peace in the Middle East, Ukraine and Sudan as he denounced the 'extremely grave' humanitarian situation in Gaza.

In his traditional Christmas message on 25 December, Pope Francis mentioned the war in Ukraine, calling for an end to it and for negotiations for a just peace. Source: European Pravda Details: Pope Francis devoted two sentences of his Christmas message to the mention of Russia's full-scale aggression against Ukraine.

He made the remarks a day after the start of the Roman Catholic Church’s Holy Year, known as a Jubilee, which takes place every quarter century. On Tuesday evening, Francis opened the Holy Door in St. Peter’s Basilica so that the first pilgrims could go through. Millions more are expected to follow over the year.

Pilgrims lined up to walk through the great Holy Door at the entrance of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome as Christmas marks the start of the 2025 Holy Year celebration.

As Hannukah and Christmas coincide, pontiff uses his annual 'Urbi et Orbi' address to urge 'all peoples and nations... to silence the sound of arms and overcome divisions'

Pope Francis in his traditional Christmas message urges everyone to find courage 'to silence the sounds of arms and overcome divisions' plaguing the world.

The pope also voiced concern about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza in his Christmas address, labeling the situation "extremely grave."

Pope Francis’ message came after Russia struck Ukraine on Christmas day, targeting the country’s energy grid and injuring several people across Kyiv and Kharkiv

The pope has earned a controversial reputation in Ukraine with his earlier remarks that relativized the responsibility of Russia’s war, encouraging Ukrainians to have the "courage" to negotiate for peace.