Ukraine and allies criticise Pope’s ‘white flag’ comment

Pope Francis has been criticised for saying Kyiv should have the ‘courage’ to negotiate an end to the war with Russia, a statement many interpreted as a call on Ukraine to surrender (Alessandra Tarantino/AP)

Ukrainian and allied officials have criticised Pope Francis for saying Kyiv should have the “courage” to negotiate an end to the war with Russia, a statement many interpreted as a call on Ukraine to surrender.

The foreign minister of Poland, a vocal ally of Kyiv, and Ukraine’s ambassador to the Vatican both used Second World War analogies to condemn the pope’s remarks, while a leader of one of Ukraine’s Christian churches said on Sunday that only the country’s determined resistance to Russia’s aggression had prevented a mass slaughter of civilians.