Regarding Ukraine, which is undergoing military invasion by Russia, Pope Francis of the Roman Catholic Church said in a media interview published on the 9th, ``The strongest person is the one who thinks about the people and has the courage to negotiate and raise a white flag.'' and so on.
The Ukrainian side expressed displeasure at this, and the Holy See explained that it was not an invitation to surrender.
Pope Francis of the Roman Catholic Church said in an interview with Swiss media published on the 9th, ``The strongest people are those who think about the people and have the courage to raise the white flag and negotiate. When things don't go well, you need the courage to negotiate."
Regarding the use of the term ``white flag,'' which generally means ``surrender,'' a spokesperson for the Holy See said, ``I was referring to an interviewer's question, and it was a cease-fire achieved through the cessation of hostilities and the courage to negotiate.'' He was forced to explain that he was not trying to urge the Ukrainian side to surrender.
In response, Ukraine's Foreign Minister Kuleba posted on social media, saying, ``In the battle between good and evil, the strongest people are those who stand on the side of good, rather than putting both sides on the same footing under the guise of ``negotiation.'' We strongly urge you to support Ukraine and its people in their fight against the virus,'' he wrote, expressing his displeasure.
In the interview, the Pope reiterated his desire to act as a mediator, but there is growing skepticism about his stance in Ukraine after he gave a speech in August last year that seemed to praise imperial Russia.