Pope Francis has sparked anger after suggesting that Ukraine should have the “courage of the white flag” and negotiate to end the war with Russia. His comments have drawn intense backlash from Ukraine and its allies, who argue that negotiations should not be pursued at the expense of Ukraine’s sovereignty and dignity.
In an interview with Swiss broadcaster RSI, Pope Francis stated that Ukraine, facing a possible defeat, should not be ashamed to sit at the same table as Russia and carry out peace talks. He emphasized the importance of negotiations and called for international powers to assist in the process.
However, Ukraine remains firm in its stance of not engaging directly with Russia on peace talks. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly stated that the initiative in peace negotiations must belong to the country that has been invaded.
The pope’s comments have drawn immediate and strong reactions from Ukrainians. Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba responded by stating that Ukraine’s flag is yellow and blue, symbolizing the country’s determination to live, die, and prevail. He emphasized that Ukraine would never raise any other flags.
President Zelenskyy, in his nightly address, accused the pope of “virtually mediating” the conflict from a distance. He highlighted the role of Ukrainians in holding back Russian aggression and stressed that it is Russia that needs to stop for the war to end.
Ukraine’s ambassador to the Vatican, Andrii Yurash, expressed Ukraine’s rejection of the idea that the victim of aggression should raise the white flag. He compared the situation to World War II, stating that no one proposed peace negotiations to those suffering under Hitler’s rule because a truce with Hitler would have been suicide. Yurash argued that a truce with Putin would be similarly disastrous.
The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church also responded to the pope’s comments, stating that Ukrainians cannot stop defending themselves as capitulation would mean their death.
Criticism of the pope’s remarks extended beyond Ukraine. Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski questioned why the pope did not encourage Putin to have the courage to withdraw his army from Ukraine. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg also indirectly addressed the pope’s comments, emphasizing that surrender is not peace and that it is Putin who started the war and has the power to end it.