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.
- After the Russian invasion of Ukraine, representatives of the Russian authorities and propagandists repeatedly hinted that Russia could use nuclear weapons. On September 21, Putin threatened nuclear weapons in the event of an attack on the Russian Federation. In fact, he hinted at the possibility of nuclear strikes if the Ukrainian Armed Forces continue to liberate the occupied territories that Russia wants to annex based on the "results" of pseudo-referendums.
- The USA warned the Russian Federation of "devastating" consequences and a response.
- President Volodymyr Zelensky believes that the nuclear threat from the Russian Federation may become a reality, so it should be taken seriously. The former Chancellor of Germany, Angela Merkel, said the same. She urged not to consider Putinʼs words a bluff.