Ukraine criticises Pope for his ‘have courage of the white f lag and negotiate’ comment
UKRAINE has criticised Pope Francis for saying the country should have ‘the courage of the white flag’ and negotiate an end to the war with Russia.
The Pope was compared to Hitler’s appeasers in the leadup to the Second World War after saying that ‘negotiations are never a surrender’.
The Vatican traditionally maintains a position of diplomatic neutrality in global affairs.
But in an interview with Swiss broadcaster RSI, the Pontiff was asked to weigh in on the debate between those who say Ukraine should agree to peace talks and opponents who argue this would legitimise Vladimir Putin’s aggression.
Pointing out the death toll on both sides and the continued stalemate, Pope Francis said: ‘I think that the strongest one is the one who looks at the situation, thinks about the people and has the courage of the white flag, and negotiates.’
Ukraine has ruled out the possibility of any peace negotiations with Russia, and has vowed to recapture all its lost territory. But there is no realistic prospect of outright victory on the horizon.
The Pope added: ‘When you see that you are defeated, that things are not going well, you have to have the courage to negotiate.’
Andrii Yurash, Ukraine’s ambassador to the Vatican, yesterday posted on X comparing the Pope’s comments to calls for ‘talking with Hitler’ while raising ‘a white flag to satisfy him’.
The foreign minister of close ally Poland, Radek Sikorski, said: ‘How about, for balance, encouraging Putin to have the courage to withdraw his army from Ukraine? Peace would immediately ensue without the need for negotiations.’
He repeated the charge that this was similar to European leaders’ appeasement of Hitler.
A Vatican spokesman later clarified that the Pope supported ‘a stop to hostilities and a truce achieved with the courage of negotiations’, rather than an outright Ukrainian surrender. Matteo Bruni said the journalist interviewing Francis used the term ‘white flag’ in the question that prompted the controversial remarks.
During the Angelus prayer yesterday from the window overlooking St Peter’s Square, Pope Francis said he was praying ‘for peace in the tormented Ukraine and in the Holy Land’.
He said: ‘Let the hostilities which cause immense suffering among the civilian population cease as soon as possible.’
Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk, the head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, said that surrender is not on the minds of Ukrainians.
‘Ukraine is wounded, but unconquered. Ukraine is exhausted, but it stands and will endure. Believe me, it never crosses anyone’s mind to surrender,’ he said.
‘Let hostilities cease as soon as possible’