Pope Francis has weighed in on the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia by urging the former to surrender and start negotiating a peace settlement.
The Pontiff made the remarks during an interview with Swiss broadcaster RSI, a transcript of which was obtained by Reuters, amid growing reports Ukranian resolve is starting to weaken as the war enters its third year.
“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,” Francis said.
“The word negotiate is a courageous word. When you see that you are defeated, that things are not going well, you have to have the courage to negotiate.”
“One may feel shame, but how many dead will it (the war) end up with? (One should) negotiate in time, find a country that can be a mediator,” he continued. “Do not be ashamed of negotiating, before things get worse.
The 87-year-old also urged countries to offer to act as mediators in bringing an end to the bloody conflict that has needlessly taken hundreds of thousands of lives.
“Today, for example, in the war in Ukraine, there are many who want to mediate,” he said. “Turkey has offered itself for this. And others. Do not be ashamed to negotiate before things get worse.”
After his remarks were scrutinized, Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said he had chosen the word “white flag” in order to “indicate a stop to hostilities (and) a truce achieved with the courage of negotiations.”
When asked about the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas is the Middle East, the Pope said: “Negotiating is never a surrender.”
Such a suggestion is not the only sensible comment the notoriously left-wing Francis has made in recent weeks.
Last month, he denounced the rise of gender ideology, describing it as “ugly” and an attack on humanity.
“It is very important that this meeting is taking place, this encounter between men and women, because the ugliest danger today is the gender ideology, which cancels out differences,” he was quoted as saying.
“I have asked for studies to be done on this ugly ideology of our time, which cancels out differences and makes everything the same; to cancel difference is to cancel humanity.”
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