Shevchuk said his Church had been assured that its invitation had been accepted, though without details about the timing of the possible visit.
“There is no set time [for the visit] yet, but Pope Francis sometimes likes to make surprises,” he said in an interview with Radio Liberty. “He may announce his visit literally a month before deciding to go to Ukraine.”
Shevchuk said a papal visit would turn the attention of the world’s Christians to Ukraine as it continues to suffer Russian attacks.
Last week, Russia fired 80 missiles and 280 aerial bombs against targets in Ukraine.
While Ukrainian leaders have voiced enthusiasm for a visit from the Pope, hopes have increasingly turned to the beginning of Donald Trump’s second term as US President to advance peace prospects.
The Pope has repeatedly appealed for negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv, most recently in his Urbi et Orbi Christmas address, but Shevchuk has denied that the Vatican has a role in mediation between the warring parties.