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Vatican: The first condition for peace in Ukraine is for Russia to stop its aggression

2024-03-12 11:25:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Vatican: The first condition for peace in Ukraine is for Russia to stop its

The Vatican said on Tuesday that the "first condition" for achieving peace in Ukraine is for Russia to "end its aggression", following criticism from Kiev and its allies of Pope Francis' statements.

Pope Francis said in an interview on February 9 that Ukraine should have the "courage" to sit down and talk with Russia for peace, adding that there is no shame in waving the "white flag".

Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican's secretary of state and the pope's closest aide, made the comments in an interview with Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera on Tuesday.

"The Holy See follows this position and continues to call for a cease-fire - and the aggressors are the ones who must stop the war," said Parolin.

The president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, criticized Francis - without mentioning his name - saying that "the church should be with the people. And, not 2,500 kilometers away, somewhere, to mediate virtually between someone who wants to live and someone who wants to destroy you".

The Foreign Minister of Ukraine, Dmytro Kuleba, reacted more directly on social networks, saying that “Our flag is yellow and blue. With this flag we live, die and triumph. We will never raise other flags".

Zelensky has insisted that he will not talk directly with Russia unless the conditions of his "formula" for peace are met.

Ukraine's demands for peace are that Russia withdraw all its troops from Ukraine, return its borders to the era after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, and that Russia be held accountable for its actions.

Francis' statements were also criticized by Ukraine's allies, such as Poland and Lithuania.

Meanwhile, the head of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg, said that Ukraine needs weapons, not white flags./ REL 





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