President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, indirectly expressed disapproval of Pope Francis’ recent statement urging Ukraine to “raise the white flag” and engage in negotiations with Russia, after two years since the start of Moscow’s invasion.

In his everyday video message, Zelenskyy expressed appreciation for Ukrainian religious leaders who are at the forefront, safeguarding life and humanity, and displaying acts of support through prayer, communication, and actions.

According to him, the church is about unity with the people, not being isolated thousands of kilometers away and searching for a digital connection between those who wish to live and those who aim to harm. This was in response to comments made by the pope during an interview with Swiss broadcaster RSI.

The Ukrainian Foreign Minister, Dmytro Kuleba, publicly spoke out against the pope’s statement on social media, stating that “our flag is yellow and blue. It is the symbol of our lives, our deaths, and our victories. We will never fly any other flag,” and promising to never give up.

Kuleba urged the pope to take a moral stance and not equate the two sides as equals under the guise of “negotiations.”

He expressed gratitude to the pope for continuously praying for peace and expressed the desire for the clergyman to visit Ukraine as well.

Matteo Bruni, spokesperson for the Vatican, addressed the criticism by stating that the pope called for an end to hostilities and a truce through negotiation, rather than mandating a complete surrender by Ukraine.

In a recent interview with Swiss broadcaster RSI, a transcript and partial video, which were released to Reuters on Saturday, reveal that Francis implored Ukraine to show bravery in negotiating a resolution to their conflict with Russia.

According to Bruni, the pope made a comment in regards to a question posed by interviewer Lorenzo Buccella regarding peace talks initiated by Ukraine. Buccella used the term “white flag” to describe these negotiations. The interviewer asked, “In Ukraine, there are some who suggest surrendering, like raising the white flag. However, others argue that this would give legitimacy to the stronger side. What is your opinion?”

Francis acknowledged that this is one perspective, but stated that the most powerful approach is to assess the situation, consider the people involved, and bravely seek resolution through negotiation. He also suggested involving international support in these talks.

The scheduled broadcast of the interview is March 20.

On Sunday, Cardinal Timothy Dolan warned against interpreting the pope’s comments in isolation.

“It can be challenging until you have read the entire text because the pope’s words are very nuanced,” stated Dolan, clarifying that the pope was promoting dialogue rather than simply recapping. He also mentioned that the Holy See provided an explanation for the pope’s remarks afterwards.

He urged the Ukrainian people to stay strong because the world looks up to them for their bravery.

According to Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk, who leads the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, Ukrainians are not thinking about giving up.

During an interview with VOA Ukrainian, Shevchuk shared that he was taken aback, likely along with the entire Ukrainian population, by the pope’s statements. However, he is relieved that the Vatican has clarified the true intention behind the Pope’s words as being a willingness to engage in negotiations.

Pope Francis has faced criticism from Ukraine’s allies for his statement urging Ukraine to have the bravery to negotiate an end to the three-year-long war with Russia.

The Foreign Minister of Poland, Radek Sikorski, who strongly supports Kyiv, and Ukraine’s ambassador to the Vatican, Andrii Yurash, both criticized the pope’s statements using comparisons to World War II. In addition, a leader from one of Ukraine’s Christian churches stated on Sunday that the country’s resolute defense against Russia’s attacks was the only thing preventing a large number of civilian deaths.

Sikorski suggested on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, that Putin show courage and remove his army from Ukraine as a means of restoring balance and bringing about peace without any negotiations.

In a different post, Sikorski made a comparison between individuals requesting for discussions but not allowing Ukraine the ability to protect itself, and European leaders’ attempts to placate Adolf Hitler before the start of World War II.

Zelenskyy has expressed his desire for peace, but is unwilling to surrender any land. The Kremlin has rejected the idea of peace negotiations based on Kyiv’s conditions.

The sources of information used in this report include Reuters, The Associated Press, and Agence France-Presse.

Source: voanews.com