Pope Leo urges negotiators to make concessions for peace in Ukraine

Pope Leo said on Monday that negotiators seeking to end the war in Europe must be ready to sacrifice some positions to achieve peace, as efforts to end Russia’s bloody war in Ukraine keep failing.

The first American pope, speaking in Metz, lamented that “war has returned, even in Europe: a new senseless massacre, claiming countless civilian lives every day.”

Offering his clearest political vision yet for Europe, Leo also praised integration and multiculturalism at a time when the far right is gaining strength across the region.

He called on Europeans to remember the founding values underpinning the EU, including the rule of law and the equality of all people regardless of race, color, class or profession.

Leo began his four-day visit on Friday with a warning that the United Nations and other multilateral bodies were in crisis and that international dialogue risked turning into a “farce.”