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The Catholic chief, 87, advised a Swiss broadcaster that Ukraine ought to negotiate with Russia and raised the thought of give up.
Ukraine has rejected Pope Francis’ name for negotiations with Russia greater than two years after the invasion, saying Kiev will “by no means” give up.
“Our flag is yellow and blue. That is the flag below which we reside, die and rule. We’ll by no means increase different flags,” Ukrainian Overseas Minister Dmytro Kuleba mentioned on social media on Sunday, a day after the pope mentioned Kiev “should have the braveness to boost the white flag.”
The 87-year-old Catholic chief mentioned in an interview with Swiss broadcaster RTS that Ukraine ought to negotiate with Russia, which has seized massive components of Ukrainian territory since launching its full-scale invasion in February 2022.
In a part of the interview launched Saturday, the Catholic chief raised the prospect of give up.
“I imagine that the strongest are those that see the state of affairs, consider the individuals and have the braveness to boost the white flag and negotiate,” Pope Francis mentioned in an interview that the Vatican mentioned befell in early February.
Kuleba referred to as on the Pope to be “on the aspect of excellent” and to not “put the opposing sides on the identical footing and name it ‘negotiations’”.
The strongest is the one who stands on the aspect of excellent within the battle between good and evil, as a substitute of making an attempt to align them and calling it “negotiations.”
On the similar time, in relation to the white flag, we all know the technique of this Vatican from the primary half…
— Dmytro Kuleba (@DmytroKuleba) March 10, 2024
Kuleba additionally appeared to discuss with some collaboration of the Catholic Church with Nazi forces throughout World Battle II when he mentioned the next: “On the similar time, in relation to the white flag, we all know this Vatican technique from the primary half of the twentieth century . ”
“I urge to keep away from repeating the errors of the previous and to assist Ukraine and its individuals of their simply battle for his or her lives,” Kuleba added.
He additionally thanked Pope Francis for his “continued prayers for peace” and mentioned Kiev hoped he would go to Ukraine.
“We proceed to hope that, after two years of devastating conflict within the coronary heart of Europe, the Pope will discover the chance to make an apostolic go to to Ukraine to welcome multiple million Ukrainian Catholics, greater than 5 million Greek Catholics and all to assist Ukrainians.” Kuleba mentioned.
Poland’s overseas minister, a vocal ally of Kiev, additionally condemned the pope’s feedback.
“How about, for stability, encourage Putin to have the braveness to withdraw his military from Ukraine? Peace would come instantly with out the necessity for negotiations,” Polish Overseas Minister Radoslaw Sikorski mentioned in a message on X.
How about, for stability, encouraging Putin to have the braveness to withdraw his navy from Ukraine?
Peace can be achieved instantly, with out the necessity for negotiations.
— Radosław Sikorski (@sikorskiradek) March 10, 2024
In a separate publish, Sikorski drew parallels between those that referred to as for negotiations whereas “denying Ukraine the means to defend itself” and European leaders’ “appeasement” to Adolf Hitler earlier than World Battle II.
Andrii Yurash, the Ukrainian ambassador to the Holy See, in contrast the pope’s feedback to calls to “discuss to Hitler” whereas “elevating a white flag to appease him.”
Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk, the pinnacle of Ukraine’s Greek Catholic Church, additionally mentioned on Sunday that give up is just not on the minds of Ukrainians.
“Ukraine is wounded, however unconquered! Ukraine is exhausted, however it’s holding and can maintain. Imagine me, it by no means happens to anybody to give up. Even the place there’s preventing immediately: take heed to our individuals in Kherson, Zaporizhia, Odesa, Kharkiv, Sumy,” he mentioned.
Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni later clarified that the pope favored “a cessation of hostilities (and) an armistice reached by the braveness of negotiations,” fairly than an outright Ukrainian give up.
Whereas Pope Francis has sought to keep up the Vatican’s conventional diplomatic neutrality, he has additionally expressed some sympathy for Russia’s motivations for invading Ukraine, comparable to when he famous that NATO was “barking at Russia’s door” with its eastward growth .
Ukraine has remained steadfast in not participating straight with Russia on peace talks, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy saying a number of occasions that peace negotiations should come from the nation that has been invaded.
Ukraine rejects Pope’s name to ‘increase the white flag’ to finish Russian conflict | Battle information between Russia and Ukraine
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