Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday that the Vatican had sent a statement apologizing to Pope Francis, who accused Chechens and Buryats of “cruelty” in the war in Ukraine.
“This statement reads as follows: ‘The Vatican State Secretariat apologizes from the Russian side. The Vatican deeply respects all the peoples of Russia, their dignity, faith and culture’,” Zakharova said.
The spokesperson later added that Moscow considers the incident “resolved” and “looks forward to continuing constructive cooperation with the Vatican”, which did not confirm the content of the message.
In an interview published by the Jesuit magazine “America” at the end of November, Francis said that the “most brutal” troops in the war in Ukraine were “perhaps those from Russia, but Chechens, Buryats and similar non-Russian tradition”. “. .
The Russians are a Slavic and mostly Orthodox ethnic group, while the Chechens are a Muslim people of Caucasian origin and their own language, predominantly concentrated in the Republic of Chechnya.
Buryats are an indigenous people of Siberia and mostly live in the Republic of Buryatia, which is also part of the Russian Federation.
As the Vatican tried to mediate the conflict with Ukraine, the Pope’s words were criticized by the Kremlin and leaders in Chechnya and Buryatia.
source: Noticias
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.