Zelenskyy meets Pope..."Asking for help with the release of Ukra prisoners."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Pope Francis at the Vatican and asked him to help free Ukrainian prisoners held in Russia.

President Zelenskyy spoke with the pope at the Vatican's Apostolic Palace for 35 minutes from 9:45 a.m. local time on the 11th.

Zelenskyy said on his social media that he was "looking forward to the Vatican's help in bringing in Ukrainians captured by Russia" and that he had mainly spoken with the pope over the issue.

Without disclosing details of the meeting, the Vatican said Zelenskyy had "discussed the situation of the war and how to end it" in subsequent meetings with Cardinal Pietro Parolin and Archbishop Paul Gallagher.

After the meeting, the pope handed over a bronze work with the phrase "Peace is a Fragile Flower" as a gift, while President Zelensky presented an oil painting depicting the "Bucha Massacre."

The Bucha region near the Ukrainian capital Kyiv is where allegations have been raised that Russia massacred civilians.

It is the first time in four months that the pope and President Zelensky have met since the Group of Seven summit in Pulia, in southeastern Italy, in June.