Ukraine War: Pope’s Sadness as Russia Rejects Truce Talks

Pope Leo XIV has called for a global truce on Christmas Day, expressing “great sadness” that “apparently Russia rejected a request” for one, as fighting continues in Ukraine and elsewhere. Russia launched a massive drone and missile attack on Ukraine, while Ukraine struck Russian oil and gas infrastructure in retaliation.

Ukraine Under Attack as Christmas Approaches

Russia sent more than 650 drones and over 30 missiles into Ukraine in an attack that began overnight and continued into Tuesday morning, local officials said. The attack killed at least three people, including a four-year-old child, and cut power to several Ukrainian regions as the country faces very cold weather. Poland scrambled fighter jets to protect its airspace during the strike, according to the country’s army.

Pope Calls for Christmas Truce

“I am renewing my request to all people of good will to respect a day of peace – at least on the feast of the birth of our saviour,” Pope Leo told reporters at his residence near Rome on Tuesday. He expressed his sadness over Russia’s apparent rejection of a truce request. “I hope they will listen and there will be 24 hours of peace in the whole world,” the pope said.

Ukrainian Strikes and Troop Withdrawals

Ukraine struck Russian oil and gas infrastructure, hitting a petrochemical plant in southern Russia’s Stavropol region. Footage on Russian media showed towering flames at the industrial site. Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces withdrew from the town of Siversk in the Donetsk region after fierce battles, though fighting continues on the outskirts.

Talks and Concerns Over Chernobyl

Weekend talks in Miami involving Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff and representatives from Russia and Ukraine were called “constructive” by Witkoff, though no apparent breakthroughs were reported. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Tuesday that “several draft documents have now been prepared,” including outlines for ending the war and postwar reconstruction. Concerns are also growing over the potential for a Russian strike to collapse the internal radiation shelter at the defunct Chernobyl nuclear power station, which could take years to fully restore.