Ukraine's Response to Pope Francis's Call for Negotiation with Russia: We Will Never Surrender

On Sunday, Ukraine rejected the Catholic Church leader's call for negotiations with Russia to end the war. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described the Pope's mediation as 'virtual' and stated that Kyiv would never surrender. Recently, Pope Francis, in an interview with Swiss TV RSI, said Ukraine must have the courage to raise a 'white flag' and negotiate with Russia to end the war. In a video response to these comments, Zelensky, without directly mentioning the Pope, said that religious leaders pray from thousands of kilometers away and wish to mediate from afar between those fighting for life and those intending to destroy that life. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba also wrote on social media platform X: 'A strong person in any dispute should stand on the right side instead of trying to put the parties in one position and calling it negotiation.' He referred to Ukraine's national flag, stating: 'Our flag is yellow and blue. This is the flag we live by, die by, and win with, and we will never allow another flag to be raised over us.' Kuleba also urged the Vatican to avoid what he called 'repeating past mistakes' and to support Ukraine and its people in their just struggle for their lives. While Ukrainian officials interpret the leader of the world's Catholics' statements as a 'request for surrender,' a Vatican spokesman emphasized that he called for 'an end to hostilities' and 'a ceasefire achieved courageously through negotiations,' with no intention of requesting Ukraine's surrender. Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, under the orders of Vladimir Putin, with a force of 190,000 troops. Although the Russian army's advance was rapid in the initial months, capturing more than a fifth of Ukraine's territory, this initial advantage did not last long, and unexpected Ukrainian resistance allowed them to reclaim parts of the captured cities and lands. The war is currently ongoing in these areas. Joe Biden: If Putin is not stopped, he will continue his aggressions; we must help Ukraine in this regard. Ukraine will receive 6 billion euros in financial aid from the European Union. The approval of a $460 billion budget package in the U.S. Senate has alleviated the risk of a partial federal government shutdown. Zelensky's visit to Istanbul; a Turkish official: Erdogan calls for an end to the war. Joe Biden's warning before the joint session of Congress: Freedom and democracy are under attack both domestically and abroad.