The president of the Vatican and leader of the catholic world His Holiness Pope Francis faced criticism and rage from Europeans after he made a pro-Russian remark that Ukraine should have the "courage of the white flag" and negotiate to end the war with Russia.
The remarks during the Pope's interview with the Swiss broadcaster Radio Television Suisse (RTS) where the Pontiff was asked if negotiations would legitimise the stronger party.
He went farther and replied "That is one interpretation. l believe that the stronger one is the one who sees the situation, who thinks of the people, who has the courage of the white flag to negotiate and today negotiations are possible with the help of international powers" the Pope added.
The comments drove a string of responses from Kyiv which has seen ten's of thousands killed as Ukraine seeks to recover all its territory that has been seized by Russia.
" Our flag is a yellow and blue one. This is the flag by which we live, die and prevail. We shall never raise any other flags," Ukraine's foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba said in a social media post.
" The strongest one is the one who, in battle between good and evil, stands out on the side of good rather than attempting to put them on the same footing and call it negotiations," he added.
Speaking to the Ukrainians in New York on Saturday, the Father and Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, His Beatitude Sviatoslav said Ukraine mstbe wounded but unconqurered therefore no one should think of making concessions.
" Ukraine is exhausted but is standing and will stand. Believe me no one thinks of surrender even in the places where fighting may be ongoing today, the Father said.
Other people also commented on the Pope's remarks. " Russia was the one that started its war against Ukraine two years ago the war could easily end if Putin respects the Ukrainian territorial intergrity without any need of negotiations " the Polish prime minister said in a statement posted on X.
The Vice Presidnet of the United States Kamala Harris also stated that striving for negotiations would only give President Putin the urge to continue violating the interests of the Ukrainian people and the conflict therefore had no desired way of being solved peacefully.
The NATO Chief Jens Stoltenberg paused the same question as he has alway asked, " How about Putin withdrawa his army from Ukraine. Wouldn't that bring the war to an end? "
Already into the third year, the conflict between Russia and Ukraine still rages being the latest invasion of a European country by another ever since Hitler invaded Poland in 1939 that led to the outbreak of the renowned World War ll.
