Ukraine has rejected Pope Francis’s call to negotiate an end to the war with Russia. President Volodymyr Zelensky said that the pontiff was engaged in “virtual mediation”.
Pope Francis was asked during an interview what should Ukraine do as it was suffering setbacks during the Russian invasion.
“I believe that the strongest are those who see the situation, think about the people, and have the courage to raise the white flag and negotiate. That word negotiate is a brave word. When you see that you are defeated, that things are not working out, to have the courage to negotiate,” he said.
Zelensky did not make a direct reference to Francis or his comments, but mentioned religious figures were helping his countrymen in Ukraine.
“They support us with prayer, with their discussion and with deeds. This is indeed what a church with the people is,” Zelensky said in his nightly video address.
“Not 2,500km away, somewhere, virtual mediation between someone who wants to live and someone who wants to destroy you.”
Hitting out at the Pope
On the other hand, Ukraine’s foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba responded angrily to the pope’s suggestion.
“Our flag is a yellow and blue one. This is the flag by which we live, die, and prevail. We shall never raise any other flags,” He said on X.
Kuleba added that a strong person in any dispute “stands on the side of good rather than attempting to put them on the same footing and call it ‘negotiations’”.
Kuleba also pointed out allegations that Pope Pius XII failed to act against the Nazis in Germany in World War II when Pius took no action despite evidence that showed the extent of the holocaust.
“I urge [the Vatican] to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past and to support Ukraine and its people in their struggle for their lives,” he wrote.
Politicians and commentators across Europe have expressed outrage on why the pope has stayed silent on Russia’s crimes as aggressor in the invasion and placed the onus on Ukraine to make peace.
