Pope Says He Heard from Hungarian Prime Minister That Russia Plans Ceasefire on May 9

Pope Francis [Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunju Lee] Pope Francis revealed that he heard from the Hungarian Prime Minister that Russia is planning to end the war on May 9.

In an interview with local Italian media on the 3rd (Korean time), the Pope introduced his conversation with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orb?n and conveyed this information.

The Pope said, "When I met Prime Minister Orb?n, he told me that Russia is planning to end everything on May 9," adding, "I hope that will happen."

Orb?n, who visited Vatican City and met Pope Francis on the 21st of last month, is considered one of the most pro-Russian leaders among European Union (EU) leaders. Orb?n also revealed that on the 6th of last month, he spoke with President Putin and proposed holding a Russia-Ukraine summit in Budapest to resolve the Ukraine crisis.

The Pope expressed his desire to visit Moscow and meet Russian President Vladimir Putin, showing his willingness to take on the role of a peace mediator to end the war. The Pope said, "If Putin does not stop the war, I want to meet him in Moscow," adding, "I will not go to Kyiv at this time."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.