On Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin extended his best wishes to the newly-appointed Pope Leo XIV, expressing his hope that the American pontiff would foster “constructive dialogue” with the Kremlin.

Putin conveyed in a message released by the Kremlin, “I am confident that the constructive dialogue and collaboration established between Russia and the Vatican will continue to evolve based on the Christian values that unite us.”

Robert Francis Prevost made history on Thursday by becoming the first pope from the United States, adopting the papal name Leo XIV after being elected as the spiritual leader of the 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide by cardinals from around the globe.

The new pope is now confronted with a significant challenge: not only must he assert a moral stance on a conflict-ridden international landscape, but he also needs to work towards unifying a fractured Church and addressing pressing issues like the ongoing repercussions of the sexual abuse crisis.

Putin had met Pope Leo’s predecessor, Pope Francis, in person on three occasions and last communicated with him via phone in December 2021—just weeks prior to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

In 2016, Pope Francis held a groundbreaking meeting with Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill in Cuba, which was the first encounter between the leaders of the two Churches. The historic meeting culminated in a joint 10-page declaration, recognized at the time as a significant step forward in the relationship between Catholicism and Russian Orthodoxy.

Pope Francis had consistently called for peace in Ukraine, though he faced backlash last year after suggesting that Kyiv should “raise the white flag and negotiate.” Ukrainian officials expressed outrage over his comments, even as the Vatican clarified that the phrase “white flag” was meant to signify a call for a cessation of hostilities rather than capitulation.