Ukraine updates: Zelenskyy to meet with Scholz, Pope Francis
Published October 11, 2024last updated October 11, 2024
What you need to know
The Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy is due to meet with Germany's chancellor Olaf Scholz and president Frank-Walter Steinmeier, after earlier meeting with Pope Francis.
It comes after he met with European leaders in London, Paris and Rome on Thursday.
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin is in Turkmenistan, where he is due to meet regional leaders including Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.
Separately, a new survey has found that most Germans want Chancellor Scholz to speak on the phone with Russian President Putin.
Here are the latest developments regarding Russia's war in Ukraine on Friday, October 11:
Nobel laureate warns against use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine
The co-chair of the Japanese atomic bomb survivors' group Nihon Hidankyo, which was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday morning, has made an emotional plea against the use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine and other conflicts.
"It has been said that because of nuclear weapons, the world maintains peace. But nuclear weapons can be used by terrorists," Toshiyuki Mimaki said.
"For example, if Russia uses them against Ukraine, Israel against Gaza, it won't end there. Politicians should know these things."
German FM says Putin unwilling to speak with Scholz
Russian President Vladimir Putin is not willing to discuss the war in Ukraine with German Chancellor Olaf Sholz, Germany's foreign minister said on Friday.
"He refuses to accept peace and every day sends another signal in favor of war and destruction. These days, he is no longer even prepared to speak to the German chancellor on the phone," Annalena Baerbock told reporters in Berlin.
The comments come hours after a national poll found that a majority of Germans want the two leaders to speak over the phone.
Zelenskyy and Pope Francis exchange gifts
Pope Francis held a private meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the Vatican City on Friday morning.
The two leaders exchanged gifts at the end of the 35-minute meeting.
Francis gifted the Ukrainian leader a bronze sculpture of a flower growing next to a bird, inscribed with the phrase "Peace is a fragile flower."
Zelenskyy gave the pope an oil painting depicting a child amid ruins in Bucha, a town that Russian forces occupied for 33 days in 2022.
The pope has frequently called for peace in Ukraine and prays for its "martyred" people. However, he sparked outrage in Kyiv earlier this year after an interview where he called on Ukrainians to "raise the white flag and negotiate."
Friday's meeting was Zelenskyy's second private audience at the Vatican since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Earlier, on Thursday, Francis also met with the head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk.
Ukraine says it controls half of key Donetsk city
Ukraine controls around half of the strategically important city of Toretsk in the east, Ukrainian officials said on Friday.
The Ukrainian military has reported eight clashes around the hilltop city in the Donetsk region over the past day.
It comes as Russian forces have gradually pushed further into Ukraine in recent weeks.
"Approximately 40-50% of the city can be said to be under the control of the Ukrainian armed forces, while the rest of the territory is captured by the enemy," said Vasyl Chynchyk, head of Toretsk city military administration.
Chynchyk said that around 1,150 people remain in the city, with evacuations continuing.
Russian strikes on Odesa kill 4
At least four people were killed by Russian strikes on Odesa overnight, Ukrainian authorities said on Friday morning.
Regional Governor Oleg Kiper said the Russian strikes destroyed a two-storey building in the Black Sea port city.
"The enemy attacked the Odesa region with ballistic missiles. Four people were killed, including a teenager," Kiper said on social media.
Another 10 people were wounded, he added.
Most Germans want Scholz and Putin to talk — survey
A majority of Germans want Chancellor Olaf Scholz to speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to a survey released on Friday.
The poll was conducted by opinion research institute YouGov on behalf of Germany's DPA news agency.
The results showed that 59% of respondents were in favor of the two leaders talking over the phone, while 26% opposed it and 15% did not provide an answer.
The figure increased in eastern Germany, where 68% of the respondents said they wanted the two leaders to talk, compared to 19% who said they opposed it.
Putin and Scholz have almost entirely not spoken since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
Putin arrives in Turkmenistan for regional summit
Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Turkmenistan on Friday ahead of a summit hosted by Ashgabat where he is due to speak, Russian state media reported.
Regional leaders including Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian are set to attend the event.
Putin is also due to hold talks with Turkmen President Serdar Berdymukhamedov.
Zelenskyy to meet with Olaf Scholz, Pope Francis
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will continue his two-day European tour on Friday.
He is set to meet with Pope Francis at the Vatican City on Friday morning, before traveling to Germany.
In Berlin, Zelenskyy will hold talks with Germany's Chancellor Olaf Scholz and President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
The leaders are expected to discuss arms deliveries as well as a potential peaceful solution to the conflict.
Zelenskyy's planned meetings on Friday follow similar talks in London, Paris and Rome on Thursday.