Two days before the first anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Pope Francis called for a ceasefire and peace talks, saying no victory can be "built on ruins."
This is reported by Reuters.
"One year has passed since the beginning of this absurd and cruel war, a sad anniversary," he said, adding that the number of dead, wounded, refugees, the amount of destruction and economic and social damage speak for themselves.
Ambassador of Ukraine to the Vatican Andriy Yuraš was present at the audience together with a delegation of Ukrainian officials.
"May God forgive so many crimes and so much violence. He is the God of peace. Let's stay close to the tortured Ukrainian people who continue to suffer," Francis said.
The Pope said: "Let's ask ourselves: Has everything possible been done to end the war? I call on all those who have power over nations to commit themselves to ending the conflict, achieving a cease-fire and starting peace negotiations."
He added: "What is built on ruins can never be a true victory."
The peace plan proposed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi last year involves the restoration of territorial integrity in accordance with the UN Charter, which, according to Zelenskyi, is "non-negotiable." He also demanded the withdrawal of Russian troops and the cessation of hostilities.
We will remind you that since February 2022, Pope Francis has been constantly talking about the war in Ukraine without mentioning Russia. After his scandalous statements, Pope Francis was handed a part of a Russian mine from Ukraine, which destroyed the facade of a church in the Kyiv region in March.
At the end of January, the head of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) Epiphany met with Pope Francis and asked the pontiff to pray for Ukraine on the anniversary of the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
