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Pope Francis called on Putin to stop the “spiral of violence and death”

Author:
Sofiia Telishevska
Date:

Pope Francis called on Russian President Putin to stop the "spiral of violence and death" due to the war in Ukraine.

This is reported by Vatican News.

"The course of the war in Ukraine has become so serious, devastating and threatening that it causes great concern... I am deeply tormented by the rivers of blood and tears shed during these months. I am saddened by the thousands of victims, especially among children, and the great destruction that has left many people and families without homes, threatening cold and hunger in large areas. Certain actions can never be justified! Never! It is terrible that the world studies the geography of Ukraine through such names as Bucha, Irpin, Mariupol, Izyum, Zaporizhzhia, and other areas that have become centers of unspeakable suffering and fear. What can we say about the fact that the world is again facing a nuclear threat? This is absurd," stated Pope Francis.

He also called on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to "be open" to peaceful proposals to end the war.

The pontiffʼs comments came two days after Putin announced that Russia would annex four regions of Ukraine partially occupied by Russian troops.