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Pope says Ukraine should have ‘courage of a white flag’ of negotiations



ROME:

Pope Francis has pronounced in an talk that Ukraine should have what he called a bravery of a “white flag” and negotiate an finish to a fight with Russia that followed Moscow’s full-scale allege dual years ago and that has killed tens of thousands.

Francis done his comments in an talk accessible final month with Swiss broadcaster RSI, good before Friday’s latest offer by Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan to horde a limit between Ukraine and Russia to finish a war.

Erdogan done a uninformed offer after a assembly in Istanbul with his Ukrainian reflection Volodymyr Zelenskiy. Zelenskiy has pronounced while he wants assent he will not give adult any territory.

The Ukrainian leader’s possess assent devise calls for a withdrawal of Russian infantry from all of Ukraine and a replacement of a state borders. The Kremlin has ruled out enchanting in assent talks on terms set by Kyiv.

A orator for Zelenskiy did not immediately respond to a ask for criticism on a pope’s remarks.

In a talk Francis was asked for his position on a discuss between those who contend Ukraine should give adult as it has not been means to repel Russian forces, and those who contend doing so would legitimise actions by a strongest party. The interviewer used a tenure “white flag” in a question.

“It is one interpretation, that is true,” Francis said, according to an allege twin of a talk and a prejudiced video done accessible to Reuters on Saturday. It is due to be promote on Mar 20 as partial of a new informative programme.

“But we consider that a strongest one is a one who looks during a situation, thinks about a people and has a bravery of a white flag, and negotiates,” Francis said, adding that talks should take place with a assistance of general powers.

“The word negotiate is a bold word. When we see that we are defeated, that things are not going well, we have to have a bravery to negotiate,” Francis said.

It was believed to be a initial time Francis has used terms such as “white flag” or “defeated” in deliberating a Ukraine war, nonetheless he has oral in a past about a need for negotiations.

In a statement, Vatican orator Matteo Bruni pronounced a pope had picked adult on a tenure “white flag” oral by a interviewer and used it “to prove a stop to hostilities (and) a equal achieved with a bravery of negotiations”.

Last year a 87-year-old pope sent a assent envoy, Italian Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, to Kyiv, Moscow and Washington to sound out leaders in those countries.

“One might feel shame,” Francis pronounced about negotiating, “but how many passed will it (the war) finish adult with? (One should) negotiate in time, find a nation that can be a mediator,” Francis said, mentioning Turkey among a countries that had offered.

“Do not be ashamed of negotiating, before things get worse,” pronounced Francis, who has done hundreds of appeals for what he calls “martyred Ukraine”. Asked if he was peaceful to mediate, Francis pronounced “I am here”.

In another partial of a interview, vocalization of a fight between Israel and Hamas, Francis said: “Negotiating is never a surrender”.

Last month Zelenskiy pronounced that 31,000 Ukrainian soldiers had been killed given a Russian allege in Feb 2022 and that tens of thousands of civilians had been killed in a assigned areas of a country.