“It must be peaceful, fair and based on the principles of the UN Charter”
NATO, Germany, etc. continue to support “weapons rather than white flags”
Ukraine summoned its ambassador to the Vatican in response to Pope Francis’ remarks about ‘the courage to raise the white flag’.
According to the Kiwi Independent on the 11th (local time), the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on this day, “We summoned the Vatican ambassador to the Holy See, Visvaldas Kulbokas, and informed him of our disappointment with the Pope’s remarks.”
“The Pope hopes to send a signal to the international community that we must immediately join forces for good to triumph over evil,” Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
He continued, “Ukra is a country that strives for peace like any other country, but peace must be fair and based on the principles of the UN Charter.”
In an interview with Swiss public broadcaster RTS, which was partially released on the 9th, Pope Francis said, “A person who has the courage to raise a white flag and negotiate is a stronger person,” and added, “The word negotiation is a word of courage. If you feel like you are losing and things are not going well, you need the courage to negotiate. “It may feel shameful, but how many more people have to die before this will end?”
He also said, “Negotiations can receive help from powerful countries. “There are many countries like Türkiye that want mediation,” he said, adding, “We should not feel ashamed and engage in negotiations before the situation worsens.”
This remark was interpreted as ‘courage to surrender’ and drew backlash from Ukraine and some Western countries.
However, the Vatican explained that the expression ‘courage to raise the white flag’ was a repetition of what was said during the questioning process, and that the emphasis of the remarks was ‘negotiation’ and ‘truce’, not ‘surrender’. He also added that Pope Francis has ‘deep affection’ for the Ukrainian people, and his sincerity was reaffirmed during the Angelus prayer the day after the second anniversary of the Ukraine War.
Andriy Yurash, the Ukrainian ambassador to the Vatican, said in an interview with Radio Svoboda on the 11th, “This statement is the Pope’s personal opinion, not the Vatican’s position.”
In his daily night speech on the 10th, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky praised the courage of the chaplains without directly mentioning the Pope and said, “The reason Russia is not advancing further into Europe is because it is armed with weapons in its hands and waving ‘blue and yellow flags.’ “It’s because the Ukrainians are blocking it,” he said.
Then, in an interview with a French broadcaster on the 11th, he said, “The cessation of fighting is like ‘oxygen’ to Russian President Vladimir Putin. For him, it is not for negotiations, but for reorganizing the military and training conscripts.”
Other leaders continued to criticize the Pope’s ‘white flag’ remarks.
Jens Stoltenberg, Secretary-General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), said during a joint press conference with Swedish Prime Minister Olf Kristerson at the NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, “For Ukraine, surrender is not peace,” and “Only President Putin wants to go to war.” “We have the option to end it immediately,” he said. He said, “Ukra needs weapons rather than a white flag.”
A German government spokesman said, “Chancellor Olaf Scholz does not agree with the Pope’s opinion on this matter,” adding, “Ukraine is defending itself from the aggressor.”
Source: Donga
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.