Ukraine war: Pope Francis' ‘white flag’ remark criticised by Kyiv, its allies

According to a report by the news agency Associated Press, 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.

'Will not raise other flags'

In a post on X, Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said, “The strongest is the one who, in the battle between good and evil, stands on the side of good rather than attempting to put them on the same footing and call it 'negotiations'.”

"At the same time, when it comes to the white flag, we know this Vatican's strategy from the first half of the twentieth century. I urge to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past and to support Ukraine and its people in their just struggle for their lives," Foreign Minister Kuleba said.

He added, "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."

Meanwhile, Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski said, "How about, for balance, encouraging Putin to have the courage to withdraw his army from Ukraine? Peace would immediately ensue without the need for negotiations."

What did Pope Francis say?

In an interview with Swiss broadcaster RSI last month, 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.

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."

During the Angelus prayer on Sunday from the window overlooking St. Peter’s Square, Francis said that he was praying “for peace in the tormented Ukraine and in the Holy Land.”

“Let the hostilities which cause immense suffering among the civilian population cease as soon as possible,” he said.

(With inputs from agencies)