negotiations
Ukraine: Union leadership criticizes Pope’s demand
Hesse’s head of government Boris Rhein (CDU) sharply criticized the Pope’s statement. photo
© Michael Kappeler/dpa
The Pope’s words about peace negotiations and the raising of the “white flag” are causing international outrage. Now the Union leadership is also speaking out.
Rhein added, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin: “Because it must be clear to all of us that a Putin victory in Ukraine will have a terrible impact on Europe’s freedom. Nothing will be better if Putin wins there, everything will be worse.” CDU treasurer Julia Klöckner said that as a Catholic she was “more than irritated by this call to raise the white flag.” If you demand that someone who is being attacked surrender, “then that is a request to Mr. Putin to just carry on with the blessing of the church.”
The Pope had sparked massive opposition with a misleading appeal for peace negotiations in Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. In an interview on Swiss television, the 87-year-old also used the phrase “white flag” – a sign of surrender in times of war.
The Berlin CSU regional group leader Alexander Dobrindt said about the Pope’s statements that he had “difficulty understanding this reference. It does not correspond to my idea of supporting Ukraine’s right to self-defense.” He added: “That’s why we should perhaps reclassify this statement.” The head of the CSU parliamentary group in the Bavarian state parliament, Klaus Holetschek, said: “I think it was well-intentioned, but it was received wrongly and is certainly not the solution to this conflict.”
The chairman of the EPP group in the European Parliament, Manfred Weber (CSU), spoke of an important signal if the Pope called for peace. “However, everyone who speaks out must make it clear that the aggression comes from Russia, that Russia started this war unprovoked. And that’s why the main message must be: Moscow end this war, Putin end this war.”