The Pope has urged Volodimir Zelensky's government to have "courage" to raise the "white flag" and negotiate an end to the war with Russia.
"It is stronger for him to see the situation, to think about the people, to have the courage of the white flag, to negotiate. Today we can negotiate with the help of international powers. The word negotiate is brave," Francisco declared in an interview recorded last month with Swiss broadcaster RSI, ahead of Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan's latest offer on Friday to host a summit between Ukraine and Russia to end the war.
"When you see that you are defeated, that things are not going well, you must have the courage to negotiate. You are ashamed, but how many dead will it end up with? Negotiate in time, look for some countries to mediate. In the war in Ukraine, there are many. Turkey has offered. And others. Let them not be ashamed to negotiate before it gets worse," said the Pontiff in the interview with Swiss Radio and Television that will be broadcast on March 20 but of which some Italian media have already reported. fragments.
The Pope also answered a question about whether he had offered to negotiate in the conflicts in Ukraine and the Gaza Strip: "I am here, period. I have sent a letter to the Jews of Israel, so that they reflect on this situation. Negotiating is never giving up. It is the courage to not lead the country to suicide. The Ukrainians, with the history they have, poor things, the Ukrainians in Stalin's time how much they suffered...."
The Pope has denounced that behind wars "is the arms industry." "It is a collective sin," he stated.
"A month ago, the treasurer told me how things were in the Vatican, always in deficit. Do you know where the investments that give more income are today? The weapons factory. You earn by killing. More income: the weapons factory "A terrible war," he added.
Furthermore, he recalled that when he traveled to Redipuglia in 2014 he cried in front of the First World War memorial. "Then the same thing happened to me in Anzio, so every November 2nd I go to a cemetery to celebrate. The last time I went to the British cemetery and looked at the age of the boys. I have already said it, but I will repeat it: "when the Normandy landing, all the heads of government celebrated that date, but no one said that up to 20,000 boys were left on that beach,'" he said. "War is crazy, it's crazy," he concluded.
Likewise, he has been asked about how the political leaders he receives at the Apostolic Palace respond when he asks for peace: "There are those who say, it's true but you have to defend yourself... And then you realize that they have the aircraft factory to bomb others. Defend ourselves, not destroy. How does a war end? With death, destruction, children without parents. There is always some geographical or historical situation that causes a war.... It can be a war that seems only for practical reasons But behind a war is the arms industry, and that means money."
The Pope has also explained that every day at seven in the afternoon he calls the Argentine priest, Gabriel Romanelli, parish priest of the Holy Family of Gaza. "Six hundred people live there and tell what they see: it is a war. And the war is waged by two, not one. The irresponsible people are these two who wage the war. Then there is not only the military war, there is the "guerrilla war." Let's say, of Hamas, a movement that is not an army. It is something bad," the Pope reflected.
In the same way, he has urged not to lose hope: "Let's look at history, the wars we have experienced, they all end in agreement."
