Pope Francis also deplores annexations. He addressed Vladimir Putin in a speech before his Angelus prayer on Sunday.
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LPope Francis “begged” Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday to “stop” the “spiral of violence” in Ukraine, while deeply deploring annexations “contrary to international law”. Before his Angelus prayer in St. Peter’s Square, the Pope addressed “the President of the Russian Federation, begging him to stop, also out of love for his people, this spiral of violence and death”. This is the first time that the pope has directly designated the Russian president during a speech since the start of the conflict on February 24.
The pope also spoke for the first time on the annexations of Ukrainian territories by Moscow, deploring “new actions contrary to the principles of international law”. Vladimir Putin on Friday proclaimed the annexation of four Ukrainian regions, a decision that drew strong condemnation from the international community. “I deeply deplore the serious situation that has arisen in recent days (…) It increases the risk of nuclear escalation, to the point of raising fears of uncontrollable and catastrophic consequences on a global level,” he said.
The sovereign pontiff also launched “an equally confident appeal to the President of Ukraine (Volodymyr Zelensky) to be open to serious proposals for peace”. “It is distressing that the world learns about the geography of Ukraine through names like Bucha, Irpin, Mariupol, Izium, Zaporizhia and other localities, which have become places of indescribable suffering and fear,” he said. -he adds. “And what about the fact that humanity is once again confronted with the atomic threat? It’s absurd. »
Denouncing once again the “madness” and “horror” of war, Francis insisted on “respect for the sacrosanct value of human life” and “the sovereignty and territorial integrity of each country”. . The Holy See has been trying since February 24 to maintain a delicate diplomatic balance with the two countries, the pope condemning a “cruel and senseless” war while keeping open the possibility of dialogue with Moscow.