During the Holy Mass in the Vatican, Pope Francis called on Russia and Ukraine to exchange prisoners of war according to the formula "all for all".
What the Pope said
May the Risen Christ open the way to peace for the suffering population of these regions (Israel, the Gaza Strip and Ukraine, — ed.). Calling for respect for the principles of international law, I express my wish for a general exchange of all prisoners between Russia and Ukraine: all for all!
the Pope
Francis
Previous statements of the Pope
On March 9, Francis said that Ukraine should "demonstrate the courage of the white flag" and start negotiations with Russia. Such a statement caused a sharp negative reaction in Western countries and Ukraine.
The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyi, reminded the pontiff that the Russians are not going further through Europe only because they are being held back by armed Ukrainian defenders.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs notes that Visvaldas Kulbokas was informed that Ukraine is disappointed with the Pontiff's words regarding the "white flag" and the need to "show courage and negotiate" with the aggressor.
Instead of appeals that legalize the right of the strong and encourage him to further disregard the norms of international law, the head of the Holy See would be expected to send signals to the world community about the need to immediately join forces to ensure the victory of good over evil, as well as an appeal to the attacker, not to the victim, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Ambassador of Ukraine to the Vatican Andriy Yuraš, for his part, called on the Pope to visit Ukraine. According to him, this would be an important signal not only for the country, but also for the whole world.
Also recently, Francis once again called for an end to the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East by starting peace negotiations.
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