KYIV: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he had thanked Pope Francis during a meeting in the Vatican Saturday for focusing on the plight of millions of Ukrainians after the Russian invasion.

"I am very grateful to him for his personal attention to the tragedy of millions of Ukrainians," Zelensky said on Telegram, adding that they had also discussed the fate of "tens of thousands of children" Kyiv says were deported to Russia.

"We must do everything to bring them home," he added.

Zelensky demands faster support on EU chief's symbolic visit

Zelensky also said he had raised with the pope a Ukrainian peace plan Kyiv has promoted for several months but which Moscow has repeatedly dismissed.

He said he had asked for Pope Francis' support for such an initiative.

Zelensky's visit to the Vatican came during his first trip to Italy since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.

Earlier, he met Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and President Sergio Mattarella.