Ukraine: Protest to Vatican after Pope Francis’ Statements on White Flag · Global Voices

The opposition between the Vatican and the Vatican continues after the statements made by the negotiator with Russia and the “white flag”. In fact, the envoy from the Vatican was invited today to give him a protest in connection with the statements of Pope Francis, who called on Saturday Kiev to have “the courage to raise a white flag and negotiate” with Moscow. “Visvaldas Kulbokas was informed that Ukraine was disappointed by the pontiff’s words regarding the ‘white flag’ and the need to ‘show courage and negotiate’ with the attacker”, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said in an announcement. Ukrainian diplomacy accused the pope of “legislating the law of the most powerful” and encouraging them to “keep ignoring international law”. “The head of the Holy See should send messages to the international community about the need to immediately unite forces to ensure the victory of good over evil, however it appeals to the attacker rather than the victim,” Kiev said. President Zelenski reacted strongly Sunday to Pope Francis’ statements saying that his country will never raise a white flag against Moscow. In an interview he had given to the public television network RTS in early February and which was broadcast on Saturday, Pope Francis when asked about the situation in Ukraine, called on Kiev not to “fear to negotiate before things worse.” From Saturday night the Vatican tried to correct the situation by insisting — according to announcement — on the fact that the expression “white flag” had the meaning here “a cease of hostilities”, a truce that is courageously achieved for negotiation” rather than a surrender. Francis, head of the Roman Catholic Church since 2013, had already provoked criticism in the early months of the Russian invasion of Ukraine because he did not clearly define Russia as an attacking country.