Ukraine and its allies responded angrily to the pope’s suggestion that Ukraine should “raise a white flag” to Russia and start negotiations to end the war.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba condemned the remarks and urged the pope to “stand on the side of justice” against evil and “avoid repeating the mistakes of the past,” an apparent reference to the conflict between the Nazis and some Catholics Collaboration of the church during World War II.
“Our flag is yellow and blue. It is the flag by which we live, die and win. We will never raise any other flag,” Mr Kuleba said on X, formerly Twitter.
He added: “The strongest people are the ones who take the side of good in the struggle between good and evil, rather than trying to put them on the same side and call it ‘negotiation’.”
Pope Francis, 87, used the phrase “white flag courage” in an interview with Swiss broadcaster RTS last month, part of which was aired on Saturday, prompting an angry response.
Asked for his opinion on whether Ukraine, facing possible defeat, should accept peace talks brokered by international powers, he said: “I believe the strongest are those who see the situation, think about the people and have the courage to raise the white flag and negotiate .”
“The word negotiation is a brave word. Have the courage to negotiate when you see yourself failing and things are not going well.”
He added: “Don’t be shy about negotiating before things get worse.”
He also insisted that “negotiations are never surrender.”
Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski responded: “For the sake of balance, encouragement [the Russian President Vladimir] Does Putin have the courage to withdraw troops from Ukraine? Peace will come immediately without negotiation,” while in another article he likened the pope’s comments to Adolf Hitler’s appeasement policy in the 1930s.
Ukraine’s ambassador to the Holy See, Andrii Yurash, said on Dialogue” comparison was made, while offering “a white flag to satisfy him”.
Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs wrote on [the] Evil face. It must be fought, defeated, and surrendered to evil with the white flag. “
Dennis Radtke, a member of the European Parliament from Germany’s Christian Democratic Party, said the pope’s remarks could be described as “shameful”. “His position on Ukraine is deeply inconsistent with his papacy. It is incomprehensible,” he posted on X.
A Vatican spokesman later clarified that the pope supported a “cessation of hostilities” [and] “An armistice through the courage of negotiations” rather than a complete capitulation of Ukraine. Matteo Bruni said the journalist interviewing Francis used the term “white flag” in the question that prompted the remark.
“When you see yourself being outplayed and things are not going well, you have to have the courage to negotiate,” he said.
Archbishop Svyatoslav Shevchuk, head of Ukraine’s Greek Catholic Church, said on Sunday: “Ukraine is wounded, but not conquered! Ukraine is exhausted, but it remains and will continue to do so.”
Meeting with Ukrainians in New York, he said: “Believe me, no one will think of surrender. Even where the fighting is taking place today: please listen to us in Kherson, Zaporozhye, Odessa, Kharko “The voice of the people of Sumy,” referring to the area that has been hit hard by Russian artillery fire and drones.
On Sunday, Francis said he was praying “for peace in tormented Ukraine and in the Holy Land” as he prayed the Angelus from a window overlooking St. Peter’s Square.
“Let the hostilities that are causing tremendous suffering to civilians cease as soon as possible,” he said.
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