PUTIN AGREES TO POPE PLEA FOR AID FOR UKRAINE TOWN

What happened: 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. Why it matters: The Kremlin statement did not mention a ceasefire. Russia and Ukraine accuse each other of blocking supplies to the town, which Ukrainian forces want to retake. Residents have reported a deepening food crisis.

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 Kremlin statement did not mention a ceasefire. Russia and Ukraine accuse each other of blocking supplies to the town, which Ukrainian forces want to retake. Residents have reported a deepening food crisis.