It's not all that often that I agree with Pope Francis, but the old dodderer is right-on here with regard to the weapons industry and the Ukraine war.
Vatican responds to criticism after Pope Francis
says Ukraine should raise white flag
March 10 (UPI) -- The Vatican has responded after politicians and religious leaders reacted with incredulity after Pope Francis indicated during an interview with a Swiss broadcaster that Ukraine should surrender to Russia to end the war.
Francis recorded a full interview Lorenzo Buccella of the Radio Télévision Suisse show "Cliché" in early February that will air on March 20. In a portion of the interview released Saturday, Buccella asked him about calls whether Ukraine should have the courage to wave the "white flag."
"I believe that the stronger one is the one who sees the situation, who thinks of the people, who has the courage of the white flag, to negotiate. And today, negotiations are possible with the help of international powers," Francis said, noting that Turkey has offered to mediate an end to the war.
The Vatican was forced to clarify the pope's remarks after backlash started rolling in, with Holy See spokesman Matteo Bruni pointing to the fact that the language of the "white flag" -- the universal symbol of surrender used by Francis -- had been first used by Buccella.
"The pope uses the term white flag, and responds by picking up the image proposed by the interviewer, to indicate a cessation of hostilities, a truce reached with the courage of negotiation," Bruni said. "Elsewhere in the interview, speaking of another situation of conflict, but referring to every situation of war, the Pope clearly stated: 'Negotiations are never a surrender.'"
Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs was among those who had expressed their criticism of Francis's language choice.
"My Sunday morning take: One must not capitulate in face of evil, one must fight it and defeat it, so that the evil raises the white flag and capitulates," Rinkēvičs said.
President Rinkēvičs has unfortunately misidentified the real evil at play here. Pope Francis does not, as he is quoted in the image caption above, the weapons industry feuls war! The Ukraine war was not started by Russia but by NATO and America in their determination to surround Russia's west and southwest borders with NATO countries against the promises they made after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Sviatoslav Shevchuk, the head of the Ukrainian Greek Orthodox Church, met with the Ukrainian community in New York City on Saturday where he stressed that "Ukraine is wounded, not conquered."
So, Ukraine will not negotiate peace until it is completely destroyed - driven back to the 16th century with more than half its population dead or gone. What madness!
"Ukraine is exhausted, but it stands and perseveres! Believe me, no one even thinks of surrendering, even where hostilities are taking place today," he said.
Certainly, no-one in Europe or America thinks about surrendering, not as long as there are inventories of munitions that need to be moved.
Francis has been supportive of Ukraine since Russia invaded on February 24, 2022, and in his Angelus prayer on Sunday, the pope expressed concern and sorrow for the "grave crisis" afflicting Haiti amid a new escalation in the ongoing violence and political turmoil gripping the country since the 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse.
Erdogan: Turkey could host peace talks
between Ukraine, Russia
March 9 (UPI) -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says he is willing to host a summit between Ukraine and Russia in the interests of reaching a "fair peace" in the ongoing conflict.
Erdogan announced Turkey's preparedness to host peace talks during a joint news conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday after the two met at the Dolmabahce Palace in Istanbul.
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