Pope Francis asserted in a soon-to-be-released interview that Ukraine should have the “courage” to enter into negotiations with Russia to end the war between the two countries before “things get worse.”
Ukraine entered its third year of war with Russia on Feb. 24 after mounting a failed counteroffensive and facing the prospect of delayed and diminished Western support. Francis said Ukraine should negotiate as its prospects of winning the war continue to slip away, according to an interview transcript and clip shared with Reuters on Saturday.
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“I think that the strongest one is the one who looks at the situation, thinks about the people and has the courage of the white flag, and negotiates,” Francis asserted in the interview slated to air March 20, according to Reuters. “The word negotiate is a courageous word. When you see that you are defeated, that things are not going well, you have to have the courage to negotiate,” Francis said.
“One may feel shame,” Francis added, “but how many dead will it (the war) end up with? (One should) negotiate in time, find a country that can be a mediator. Do not be ashamed of negotiating, before things get worse.”
The Pope also indicated he was available to help with negotiations, saying at one point, “Negotiating is never a surrender.”
President Joe Biden’s White House denied Reuters reporting in February that his administration played a role in killing a potential Ukraine ceasefire proposal from Russia, in a statement to the Daily Caller. The White House told the Caller that the reporting originates from a biased Russian point of view and asserted that neither Russia nor its president Vladimir Putin ever brought forward a ceasefire proposal.
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