As of: March 10, 2024, 2:47 p.m
By: Nils Hinsberger
Comments
Press
Split
According to Pope Francis, Ukraine must enter into negotiations with Russia to avoid further suffering for the population.
But there is no appeal to Putin.
Vatican City – Pope Francis has caused heated emotions with his latest statements about the war in Ukraine.
In a radio interview with the Swiss broadcaster
RSI
, the spiritual leader of the Catholic Church said that he considers the strongest person to be the one who "has the courage to raise the white flag,"
Reuters
reported .
Critics are now accusing Francis of trying to persuade Ukraine to surrender, according to
Newsweek
.
“Negotiate before things get worse” – Pope advises Ukraine to hold talks with Moscow
It was a courageous step to negotiate, said Francis in the interview.
“When you see that you are defeated, that things are not going well, you have to have the courage to negotiate,” the Pope said.
According to the
Reuters
news agency , this is the first time that Francis has spoken publicly about Ukraine being defeated.
In the past, however, he has called for peace talks between Russia and Ukraine several times.
Pope Francis has advised Ukraine to “have the courage to raise a white flag” in its war against Russia.
© Andrew Medichini/AP/dpa
Most recently, Pope Francis called for peace in the Ukraine war in February, reported the Münster diocese's weekly newspaper
Kirche und Leben
.
The war has already lasted far too long and is causing a wave of fear and hatred worldwide.
In November 2022, he even offered to travel to Kiev himself, after having already invited church representatives to Ukraine several times.
Now he is again demanding that the warring parties “negotiate before things get even worse.”
“Our flag flies in two colors.
White is not one of us” – Ukraine outraged by Pope’s statement
Pope Francis' comments that Ukraine should raise the white flag in the war against Russian President Vladimir Putin's troops were met with angry reactions.
Anton Gerashchenko, a Ukrainian government adviser, criticized that “the Pope is not asking Putin to stop, but is instead calling on Ukraine to raise the white flag,” Bild
reported
.
There have so far been no reactions from Volodymyr Zelensky, the President of Ukraine, to the Pope's statements.
Ukrainian security adviser Maria Avdeeva said on X (formerly Twitter) that the Ukrainian flag only flies in two colors - "White is not ours."
The group “Republicans against Trump,” a group of Republicans campaigning against former US President Donald Trump, also wrote on to withdraw from Ukraine?”.
My news
At home in the woods: Swedes are building the NATOs' future super tank
Bitter survey pill for the Greens – Union benefits read
Medvedev sees red (wine): Putin confidant always complains about deliveries from Italy
Russia openly threatens to shoot down NATO jets – read “return of particularly aggressive attitude”.
“Everything is allowed against the enemy”: Putin henchman Medvedev sends a clear message
“Never seen before”: Russia uses bizarre cable drones in Ukraineread
Poland's Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski also accepted Pope Francis' call for negotiations.
“To compensate, how about encouraging Putin to have the courage to withdraw his army from Ukraine?
Then peace would come immediately, without negotiations being necessary,” Sikorski wrote on Sunday on the X platform (formerly Twitter).
Vatican spokesman puts Pope Francis' statements on the Ukraine war into perspective
In the interview, Pope Francis merely used the word “white flag” from the interviewer, explained Matteo Bruni, a Vatican spokesman.
With his statements, Francis simply wanted to point out that an “end to hostilities” was needed in the Ukraine war and that people had to have the courage to enter into negotiations for a ceasefire.
(nhi/dpa)