Pope Francis believes that it would be a "courageous act" for Ukraine to raise the "white flag" and start negotiations with Russia with the participation of international mediators. That's what he's about said in an interview with the Swiss television and radio company RSI, the text version of which appeared on Saturday, March 9.
In the interview, the pontiff was asked about his position on the debate between those who say Ukraine should surrender because it was unable to repel Russian forces and those who say it would legitimize the actions of Russia, which will see itself as the stronger side. The interviewer used the term "white flag" in the question.
"I believe that those who see the situation, those who think about the people, those who have the courage to raise the white flag and negotiate, are stronger. And today it can be negotiated with the help of international forces. The word negotiate is a bold word. When you see that you are losing, that things are not going very well, you need to have the courage to negotiate." - said the Pope.
According to the Pope, one of these mediators could be Turkey.
"You can feel shame. But how many people died in the end? It is necessary to conduct negotiations. Don't hesitate to negotiate before the situation worsens," — he emphasized.
However, the pontiff offers not only Ukraine's war with the Russian Federation to be settled through negotiations. In another part of the interview, which referred to Israel's conflict with Hamas militants, Francis said that "negotiations are not surrender."
The pontiff previously advocated a diplomatic settlement, but for the first time actually called on Ukraine to surrender.
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