Pope Francis has been invited to visit Ukraine by the country's Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal.

During a call with the pontiff, Mr Shmyhal said he discussed the Ukrainian peace formula and a potential path and assistance from the Vatican to achieve all the steps of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's peace plan.

The Ukrainian official also said he asked the pope for help in returning home Ukrainian children who are being held, arrested and deported to Russia.

Kyiv estimates nearly 19,500 children have been taken to Russia or Russian-occupied Crimea since Moscow invaded in February last year, in what it condemns as illegal deportations.

Moscow, which controls large parts of Ukraine's east and south, denies abducting children and says they have been transported away for their own safety.

Pope Francis, 86, has said previously that he wants to visit Kyiv but also Moscow on a peace mission.

(Source: Sky News)