Pope Francis tells Ukraine that there is ‘no shame in negotiating’

[mwai_chat context=”Let’s have a discussion about this article:nnVATICAN CITY (RNS) — Addressing the war in Ukraine, which has cost both sides an estimated 500,000 lives in the two years since Russia’s invasion, Pope Francis urged Ukrainian leaders to have the “courage of the white flag and to negotiate” before things get worse.The pope’s words, which came in an interview with the Swiss broadcaster RSI that aired Saturday (March 9), were met with anger and outrage by Ukrainian political and religious leaders while the Vatican scrambled to clarify the comments.
Since the beginning of the conflict, the pope and the Vatican have vigorously called for peace in the conflict while offering to help mediate between the two sides. The pontiff’s neutral stance has irked many leaders in Europe who see Russia’s belligerence as a moral matter as much as a military one.
In the interview, journalist Lorenzo Buccella asked the pope whether surrendering in a conflict is equivalent with giving in to a logic where power is might and only the strongest win.
“The strongest one is he who looks at the situation, thinks of the people and has the courage of the white flag and to negotiate, with the help of international organizations,” Francis answere …nnDiscussion:nn” ai_name=”RocketNews AI: ” start_sentence=”Can I tell you more about this article?” text_input_placeholder=”Type ‘Yes'”]