(Reuters) – Ukraine’s Foreign Minister responded to Pope Francis’s recent call for negotiations to end the war with Russia by stating that Kyiv would never surrender. In a post on social media platform X, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba emphasized that Ukraine stands on the side of good and will not raise any flag other than the yellow and blue Ukrainian national flag.
Kuleba also referenced the Vatican’s role in World War Two, urging the Vatican to support Ukraine’s fight for survival and to learn from past mistakes of not taking action against Nazi tyranny.
He pointed out allegations that Pope Pius XII failed to act against the Holocaust even after evidence emerged during the war. Kuleba made it clear that Ukraine will not give up in its struggle for freedom and sovereignty.
Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk of Ukraine’s eastern rite Catholic Church also rejected the pope’s call for negotiations, declaring that Ukraine will not surrender and will continue to stand strong.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s peace plan involves the withdrawal of Russian forces from all of Ukraine and the restoration of its state borders. However, the Kremlin has rejected these terms, leading to a stalemate in negotiations.
The pope’s use of terms like “white flag” and “defeated” in discussing the Ukraine war has stirred controversy, with European officials criticizing his comments and urging him to also call for Putin to withdraw Russian troops from Ukraine.
Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni clarified that the pope used the term “white flag” to symbolize a ceasefire achieved through negotiations and courage.
The pope’s remarks have caused tensions with Ukrainian officials in the past, including his previous comments praising Russian historical figures like Peter the Great, who is used by President Vladimir Putin to justify actions in Ukraine.
European officials supporting Ukraine have criticized the pope’s statements, with Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski suggesting that Putin should have the courage to withdraw his army from Ukraine for peace to prevail without negotiations.
Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics echoed this sentiment, stating that evil must be fought and defeated so that it raises the white flag and surrenders.
Overall, Ukraine remains steadfast in its refusal to capitulate to Russian forces and is determined to continue its fight for sovereignty and independence.
