Kyiv needs weapons, not white flags: NATO chief hits out at pope’s Ukraine war remark

Pope Francis is continuing to face criticism over his remarks that war-torn Ukraine should have the "courage of the white flag" and negotiate an end to the war triggered by Russia’s invasion. This time, the pope's remarks have been criticised by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's (NATO) Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg. On Monday (Mar 11), Secretary-General Stoltenberg told the news agency Reuters that he disagreed with Francis' remarks, adding, that Ukraine needs weapons and not white flags.

"If we want a negotiated peaceful lasting solution, the way to get there is to provide military support to Ukraine," he added. Onbeing asked if his reaction meant now was not the time to talk about a white flag, Stoltenberg said: "It's not the time to talk about surrender by the Ukrainians. That will be a tragedy for the Ukrainians. It will also be dangerous for all of us."

What did Pope Francis say?

In February, Pope Francis used the phrase “the courage of the white flag” as he argued that Ukraine, facing a possible defeat, should be open to peace talks brokered by international powers.

Speaking to Swiss broadcaster RSI, Francis insisted that negotiations were never a surrender, adding, "When you see that you are defeated, that things are not going well, you have to have the courage to negotiate."

Earlier, the pope's remarks were criticised by the foreign ministers of Ukraine and Poland. A leader of one of Ukraine’s Christian churches on Sunday said that only the country’s determined resistance to Moscow’s full-scale invasion prevented a mass slaughter of civilians.

German bishops call on Vatican to clarify pope's remarks

On Monday, German Catholic bishops called on the Vatican to clarify Pope Francis' remarks.

"The fact that Pope Francis did not address the points mentioned here in his interview caused irritation among many observers, which we can understand. It would be good if the Holy See communicated a substantive clarification of its position on these issues," German bishops said.

Also watch |How would Russia react to NATO in Ukraine?

They added that it was unfortunate that the pope repeated the words "white flag,"but also said it was "self-evident and widely proven to us that the Pope – like the German Bishops' Conference – is committed to a just and lasting peace in Ukraine."

(With inputs from agencies)