Pope Francis Expresses Sorrow in Phone Call to Ukrainian President Zelenskyy

The Vatican press office confirmed on Saturday that there was a telephone call between Pope Francis and Zelenskyy.

Zelenskyy is in Ukraine’s capital city Kyiv, after he refused an offer by the United States to be evacuated. According to a U.S. intelligence official, Zelenskyy said: “The fight is here; I need ammunition, not a ride.”

Saturday marked the third day of fighting in Ukraine, after Russian military invaded the country in the early morning of Feb. 24.

The death toll among both military and civilians continues to rise. Swaths of Ukrainians are fleeing from the eastern part of the country to the west, or to neighboring Poland. People in the cities of Kyiv and Lviv have been forced to seek safety in shelters or subway stations.

Street fighting broke out in Kyiv on Saturday as Russian troops advanced toward the capital.

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In a video recorded in downtown Kyiv on Feb. 26, Zelenskyy said “we aren’t going to lay down weapons. We will protect the country. Our weapon is our truth, and our truth is that it’s our land, our country, our children. And we will defend all of that,” the Associated Press reported.

Hannah Brockhaus is Catholic News Agency's senior Rome correspondent. She grew up in Omaha, Nebraska, and has a degree in English from Truman State University in Missouri.