Ukraine: Pope Francis ready to travel to Moscow to see Putin

Europe 1 with AFP 12:05 p.m., May 3, 2022

Pope Francis says he is willing to travel to Moscow to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin and try to stop the fighting in Ukraine, in an interview with the Italian daily Il Corriere della Sera published on Tuesday.

Referring to the invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces, Francis claimed to have "called on the phone" Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky "on the first day of the war".

"I'm afraid Putin doesn't want to have this meeting now"

"On the other hand, I did not call Putin. I spoke to him in December, for my birthday, but this time no, I did not call," added the Argentine pope.

"Subsequently, after 20 days of war, I asked Cardinal (Pietro) Parolin", number two of the Vatican, "to send Putin the message that I was ready to go to Moscow", a- he continued.

“We have not yet received a response and we are still insisting, although I am afraid that Putin cannot and does not want to have this meeting now,” added Pope Francis.

The sovereign pontiff has also ruled out going to kyiv for the moment, despite invitations from the Ukrainians.

"I have to go to Moscow first"

"I'm not going to kyiv at the moment," he said, recalling having sent two cardinals there.

"I feel like I shouldn't go," he insisted.

"I have to go to Moscow first, I have to meet Putin first," concluded Pope Francis, who has multiplied calls for an end to the fighting in Ukraine.