The urgent clarification came after Francis was asked in an interview with a Swiss public broadcaster about calls for Ukraine to surrender to Russia and said he believes “those who have the courage to raise the white flag and to negotiate are stronger,” in remarks which appeared to echo Kremlin talking points.
His comments sparked outrage in Kyiv, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy saying in a statement that it’s Russia “who has to stop for the war to end,” and Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba proclaiming that Ukraine “shall never raise any other flags” except its national flag.
Ukraine’s allies also hit out, with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock stating she “didn’t understand” the pope’s comments, and Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs saying, “One must not capitulate in face of evil, one must fight it and defeat it, so that the evil raises the white flag and capitulates.”
Parolin compared Russia’s war in Ukraine to the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza, saying both situations “have dangerously expanded beyond any acceptable limit” and will cause “repercussions in several countries.”