Minnesota U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar met with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican on Friday in the push to get kidnapped Ukrainian children out of Russia .

Klobuchar, who met with the pope for about 20 minutes along with a Ukrainian delegation, said it was an honor to meet him, calling him "a true moral force for peace and justice."

The pope and Klobuchar were joined by some Ukrainian families whose children were kidnapped by Russian forces and have since been reunited with their families. More than 19,000 Ukrainian children were abducted by Russia during the invasion , according to Ukraine's state-run program " Bring Kids Back ."

Klobuchar, Hennepin County's former top prosecutor, has led on human trafficking issues in the Senate.

"Any path towards peace must start with ret

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