Germany, Poland, Ukraine and Latvia Criticise Pope's Statement on the Courage to "Raise the White Flag" and Negotiate with Russia
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has criticised the Pope's recent statements that Ukraine should show "the courage to raise a white flag" and save itself from suicide by agreeing to peace talks, and invited the Pope to come to Ukraine.
"In this day and age, I don't understand that," Baerbock said. "Perhaps we should go to Ukraine with those who demand peace talks," the German foreign minister said, according to Tagesschau.
"I think some things can only be understood if you see them yourself," Baerbock continued.
When she talks to children in Ukraine who have suffered from the war, she asks herself: "Where is the Pope? The Pope has to know about these things." The federal government is trying "every day to put an end to this terrible drama, and we see every day that even worse things are being invented."
Addressing those calling for a halt to German arms supplies, the foreign minister said: "If we do not show strength now, there will be no peace. Therefore, it is necessary to show determination - including with the supply of weapons. "We have to stand by Ukraine and do everything possible to enable it to defend itself."
Earlier, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski appealed to Pope Francis after his controversial statements that Ukraine should have the courage of the "white flag".
Sikorski believes that the Pope should now call on Russian President Vladimir Putin to withdraw his occupation forces from Ukraine.
"How about calling on Putin to have the courage to withdraw his army from Ukraine for balance?" Sikorski said.
He stressed that if Putin withdrew his troops from Ukraine, "peace would come immediately without the need for negotiations."
Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs reacted sharply to Pope Francis' statement: "We cannot capitulate to evil".
"We have to fight it and defeat it so that evil raises a white flag and surrenders," he added.
In his turn, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba reminded Pope Francis after his statements that Ukraine should have the courage of the "white flag" that "our flag is blue and yellow".
"We live, die and win under it. We will not raise any other flags," Kuleba said.
According to the Ukrainian Foreign Minister, the strongest person in the battle between good and evil is the one who takes the side of good, rather than trying to equalise them, calling it "negotiations".
"As for the white flag, we know this strategy of the Vatican from the history of the first half of the twentieth century. I urge you not to repeat historical mistakes and to consistently support Ukraine and its people in their just struggle for their lives," Kuleba said.
At the same time, the Ukrainian Foreign Minister thanked Pope Francis "for his constant prayers for peace".
"We continue to hope that after two years of a devastating war in the heart of Europe, he will find an opportunity to make an apostolic visit to Ukraine to support more than a million Catholic Ukrainians, more than five million Greek Catholics, all Christians and all Ukrainians," he concluded.
As a reminder, the media recently published an interview in which Pope Francis, speaking about the war in Ukraine unleashed by Russia, said that Ukraine should have what he called the courage of the "white flag" and negotiate with Russia.
After Francis' words sparked criticism and a wide response, a Vatican spokesperson issued a statement explaining his words, noting in particular that "negotiations are never a surrender".