Russia-Ukraine war live: Zelenskiy attacks ‘virtual mediation’ after pope says Kyiv should ‘raise white flag’

Zelenskiy responds to pope’s suggestion of Ukraine surrendering to Russia in war

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has dismissed Pope Francis’s call for talks with Russia as “virtual mediation” from a distance. The pope had urged parties involved in Russia’s war against Ukraine to negotiate and have the courage to do so before the situation worsens. Zelenskiy did not directly refer to the pope or his remarks but stated that the pope’s ideas had no connection to the efforts made by religious figures in Ukraine to help the country. He emphasized the importance of support through prayer, discussion, and tangible actions. A Vatican spokesperson clarified that the pope was advocating for stopping the fighting through negotiation, not capitulation.

The Russian Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson, Maria Zakharova, seized on the pope’s remarks, interpreting them as a call for the West to admit its mistakes and put aside its ambitions.