Zelensky thanks Pope for prayer for peace in eastern Ukraine

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has thanked His Holiness Pope Francis for his prayer for peace in eastern Ukraine.

He wrote about this on Twitter, Ukrinform reports.

"Every word in support of Ukraine saves lives. Grateful to Your Holiness Pope Francis for praying for peace in Donbas. This is a goal that we can achieve through joint efforts only. Our power is in unity: spiritual, ideological, diplomatic," Zelensky said.

He also posted a photo from an audience with the Pope dated February 8, 2020.

As reported, Pope Francis said in his Sunday address to the faithful that he is following events in eastern Ukraine with great concern and calls for peace and reconciliation.

Russia has lately been building up troops near Ukraine’s state border in the north, east and south, as well as in occupied Crimea. In addition, the number of ceasefire violations committed by the Russian armed formations in eastern Ukraine has increased. Ukrainian troops suffer casualties. At the same time, Russia carries out a propaganda campaign to justify aggression against Ukraine.

The U.S. and the EU announced their support for Ukraine and called on Russia to withdraw its troops from the Ukrainian border.

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