KYIV: Ukraine on Sunday (Mar 10) slammed Pope Francis's call to negotiate with Russia two years into its invasion, vowing "never" to surrender after the pontiff said Kyiv should "have the coura
two years into its invasion, vowing"never" to surrender after the pontiff said Kyiv should"have the courage to raise the white flag".
"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. "At the same time, when it comes to the white flag, we know this Vatican strategy from the first half of the 20th century," Kuleba said, calling on the Holy See to"avoid repeating the mistakes of the past".
After the interview was aired, Francis offered fresh prayers for"martyred Ukraine", as Vatican officials said his call was simply intended to end fierce fighting. "Russia is the aggressor and breaks international law! Therefore Germany asks Moscow to stop the war, not Kyiv!", said Bernhard Kotsch, Germany's envoy to the Vatican.
Francis drew criticism in the first months after Russia's February 2022 invasion for failing to name Moscow as the aggressor.
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