War with Russia
Pope Francis: Ukraine should have the courage to raise a “white flag”.
Pope Francis gestures before a mass in St. Peter’s Basilica
© Alessandra Tarantino / DPA
“Don’t be ashamed to negotiate before things get worse,” said the Catholic church leader in an interview about the Ukrainians and their fight against Russia.
Pope Francis for mediation between warring parties
According to the interview transcript, seen by the Reuters news agency on Saturday, Francis was asked whether he stood with those who called for Ukraine to give up because it had not been able to retaliate against Russia, or with those who said it would Surrender would legitimize the actions of the strongest side. The interviewer used the term “white flag”.
Francis raised the question of how many deaths there would be in the end of the war and said that discussions should involve international powers and a mediator. “Don’t be ashamed to negotiate before things get worse,” the pope said. In another part of the interview, which focused on the war between Israel and Hamas, he said: “Negotiation is never a surrender.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly said he wants peace. However, he is calling for the withdrawal of Russian troops from the entire Ukraine and the restoration of the Ukrainian state borders. Russia has rejected peace talks on terms set by Kiev. On Friday, Turkey was in talks to host a summit between Ukraine and Russia.
Source: Vatican News