Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet Pope Francis on June 10, with pressure on the pope to speak up about the Kremlin's role in the Ukraine conflict.
The visit, which was confirmed Thursday by the Holy See's chief spokesman, Jesuit Fr. Federico Lombardi, will be Putin's second meeting with Francis. The two leaders also met in the Vatican in November 2013.
But the ground between Moscow and Rome has shifted significantly in the interim, with Russia annexing the Crimea Peninsula last year and being accused of fomenting the ongoing war in eastern Ukraine.