ROME (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Pope Leo XIV near Rome on Tuesday as part of continued efforts to strengthen European backing for Ukraine while resisting calls from the U.S. to accept a difficult compromise with Russia.

Responding to media questions via a WhatsApp message, Zelenskyy firmly restated his unwillingness to surrender any land, saying, “We absolutely do not wish to give up anything,” even though “the Americans are currently pushing for a compromise, I’ll admit that.”

“There is no question that Russia demands we hand over territory,” he continued in the Monday evening message. “But under Ukrainian law, we are not allowed to do so. Our constitution, international law, and our moral obligations do not permit it.”

On Tuesday morning, Zelenskyy held a private meeting with Pope Leo XIV at Castel Gandolfo, a papal residence outside of Rome. He was also scheduled for discussions with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. The Vatican shared that the Pope emphasized the importance of ongoing dialogue and expressed hope that diplomacy would lead to a fair and lasting peace.

The Vatican has taken a neutral stance in the war but has continuously shown compassion and support for what it describes as Ukraine’s “suffering people.” This marked Zelenskyy’s third in-person meeting with the Pope, who has also spoken with Russian President Vladimir Putin by phone. The Pope has called for an end to hostilities and has urged particularly Russia to adopt peaceful measures.

On Monday, Zelenskyy visited London to meet with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in a bid to bolster Ukraine’s position amid growing U.S. impatience, particularly from President Donald Trump.

Facing pressure from Trump

Over the weekend, Ukrainian and U.S. negotiators held three days of discussions attempting to bridge gaps in the current American peace proposal.

A major point of disagreement remains a proposal that suggests Ukraine should relinquish control of the Donbas region in the east—a region which Russia has taken over, though not entirely. Neither Ukraine nor its European partners are willing to entertain the idea of surrendering territory.

Speaking with journalists Sunday evening, Trump voiced irritation with Zelenskyy, claiming the Ukrainian leader “still hasn’t read the proposal.”

Trump’s relationship with Zelenskyy has been inconsistent since he began his second term, frequently criticizing the war as a misuse of American financial resources. He has often pushed for Ukraine to give up land to Russia as a means to end the conflict that has dragged on for nearly four years.

On Monday, Zelenskyy commented, “Trump definitely wants to end the war… He probably has his own perspective. But we live here—we feel every detail and every consequence, because this is our homeland.”

Zelenskyy noted that the latest version of the U.S. peace plan was trimmed from 28 to 20 key points, explaining that some “clearly anti-Ukrainian elements were removed.”

Europeans back Ukraine

European leaders continue to firmly support Ukraine’s cause. On Monday, Starmer described the current peace drive as reaching “a crucial moment” and underlined the need for a ceasefire that is both fair and durable.

Meanwhile, Chancellor Merz indicated doubt over some parts of the U.S. plan. “We need to talk through these details. That’s precisely why we’re here,” he said. “The upcoming days could determine a lot for everyone involved.”

European governments are striving to ensure that any peace agreement is reinforced with credible security assurances from both European nations and the United States to discourage further aggression from Russia. So far, Trump has not made firm public guarantees on this matter.

Zelenskyy and European leaders collectively accuse Putin of deliberately stalling diplomacy to gain time for military advances. Russian troops continue to push forward incrementally while drone and missile attacks batter Ukraine’s infrastructure.

Russia and Ukraine exchange aerial strikes

Ukraine’s Air Force reported that Russia launched 110 drones over the country overnight. According to officials, 84 of them were intercepted, but 24 went on to hit their targets.

Several regions experienced emergency power outages on Tuesday as a result of prior attacks on the power grid, according to state energy company Ukrenergo.

Ukraine responded with aerial assaults of its own.

According to Russia’s Ministry of Defense, their air forces shot down 121 Ukrainian drones across various regions, including Crimea. In Chuvashia, roughly 900 kilometers northeast of the Ukrainian border, an attack damaged homes and injured nine people, regional governor Oleg Nikolayev stated online.

An official familiar with security operations in Ukraine, speaking anonymously due to lack of authorization, confirmed a drone strike on an LPG terminal in Temryuk, located in Russia’s Krasnodar region, on December 5. The strike reportedly ignited a significant fire that burned for over three days, damaging over 20 fuel tanks along with loading facilities and railway cars.

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Reporting by Novikov in Kyiv, Ukraine.