The Catholic leader, 87, told a Swiss broadcaster that Ukraine should negotiate with Russia and raised the idea of surrender.
Ukraine has rejected Pope Francis' call for negotiations with Russia more than two years after the invasion, saying Kiev will “never” surrender.
“Our flag is yellow and blue. This is the flag by which we live, die and win. We will never raise any other flag,” Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said in Rome. he said on social media Sunday, a day after the pope said Kiev “must have the courage to raise the white flag.”
The 87-year-old Catholic leader said in an interview with Swiss broadcaster RTS that Ukraine should negotiate with Russia, which has occupied large swaths of Ukrainian territory since launching a full-scale invasion in February 2022. Ta.
In part of an interview published Saturday, the Catholic leader raised the possibility of surrender.
In an interview reportedly conducted by the Vatican in early February, Pope Francis said, “I believe that the strongest people are those who look at the situation, think about the people, and have the courage to raise the white flag and negotiate.'' “There is,” he said.
Kleba called on the pope to stand on “the side of good” and stop “putting opposing sides on the same side and calling it 'negotiations.'”
In the battle between good and evil, those who stand on the side of good are the strongest, rather than placing both sides on the same footing under the guise of “negotiation.''
At the same time, as for the white flag, we have known this Vatican strategy from the beginning…
— Dmytro Kuleba (@DmytroKuleba) March 10, 2024
Mr. Kleba also appeared to refer to the Catholic Church's cooperation with Nazi forces during World War II, saying: “At the same time, when it comes to the white flag, we have known this Vatican strategy since the first half of the 20th century.”
“We urge you to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past and to support Ukraine and its people as they fight for their lives,” Kuleba added.
He also thanked Pope Francis for his “constant prayers for peace” and said Kiev hopes to visit Ukraine.
“We are here to help more than 1 million Ukrainian Catholics, more than 5 million Greek Catholics, and all Ukrainians after two years of devastating war in the heart of Europe. I continue to hope that the Pope will find an opportunity to make an apostolic visit to Ukraine in the coming days,'' said Kuleba.
The foreign minister of Poland, a vocal ally of Kiev, also condemned the pope's comments.
“In order to balance things out, why not encourage President Putin to have the courage to withdraw his troops from Ukraine? Peace will come quickly, without the need for negotiations,” said Radosław Sikorski, Poland's foreign affairs minister. The Minister said in a post about X.
To balance things out, why not encourage Putin to have the courage to withdraw his troops from Ukraine?
There will be peace soon, without the need for negotiation. https://t.co/gWNYSUt79u— Radosław Sikorski 🇵🇱🇪🇺 (@sikorskiradek) March 10, 2024
In another post, Sikorski paralleled those calling for negotiations with “denial.” [Ukraine] European leaders' “appeasement” of Adolf Hitler before World War II.
Andriy Yurash, the Holy See's ambassador to Ukraine, likened the pope's comments to a call for “dialogue with Hitler” while raising “a white flag to satisfy Hitler.”
Archbishop Svyatoslav Shevchuk, head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, also said on Sunday that surrender was not in the minds of the Ukrainian people.
“Ukraine is wounded, but not conquered! Ukraine is exhausted, but it will stand up and endure. Believe me, surrender does not cross anyone's mind. Today, fighting Listen to the voices of the people of Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Odessa, Kharkov, Sumy, wherever this is taking place,” he said.
Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni later clarified that the pope supports a “cessation of hostilities.” [and] It is not a complete surrender of Ukraine, but a ceasefire achieved through courageous negotiations. ”
Pope Francis has sought to uphold the Vatican's traditional diplomatic neutrality, but the rationale for Russia's invasion of Ukraine, including noting that NATO is “barking at Russia's door” with its eastward expansion, has He also expressed some sympathy.
Ukraine has maintained its stance of not directly engaging Russia in peace negotiations, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly stated that peace negotiations must begin from the invaded country.
