PUTIN AGREES TO COOPERATE WITH POPE LEO PLEA FOR AID FOR UKRAINIAN TOWN

What happened: President Vladimir Putin told Pope Leo he agreed to cooperate after the pontiff asked him to help get vital supplies into Oleshky, a Russian-controlled town in Ukraine's Kherson region, the Kremlin said. Key numbers: Oleshky had a pre-war population of some 24,000 and is still home to around 1,700 residents, including 47 children, per the UN Human Why it matters: The Vatican said Leo sought a ceasefire to let aid in, but the Kremlin statement did not mention one. Russia and Ukraine accuse each other of blocking supplies to the town, which Ukrainian forces want to retake.

President Vladimir Putin told Pope Leo he agreed to cooperate after the pontiff asked him to help get vital supplies into Oleshky, a Russian-controlled town in Ukraine's Kherson region, the Kremlin said.

The Vatican said Leo sought a ceasefire to let aid in, but the Kremlin statement did not mention one. Russia and Ukraine accuse each other of blocking supplies to the town, which Ukrainian forces want to retake.