Pope calls on Russian President and Ukrainian counterpart to resume negotiations

October 3, 2022 09:57

Pope Francis warned that further escalation of tensions could lead to the deployment of nuclear weapons, with dire consequences.

Chú thích ảnh — *Pope Francis waves from the window of the Apostolic Palace during his weekly prayer at the Vatican. Photo: AFP*

According to RT TV channel, on October 2, Pope Francis called on Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to declare a ceasefire and return to the negotiating table.

According to an article published on Vatican News, the Pope described the Ukraine conflict as a terrible and unimaginable wound to humanity.

“There can never be justification for certain things. War is never a solution,” Pope Francis blamed both sides, calling for an immediate ceasefire and urging the parties to negotiate non-violent, stable and just solutions.

The Pope also stressed the importance of respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of each nation. He asked other nations to do everything possible to end the war, but not to be drawn into the conflict.

Pope Francis's call came after Ukrainian President Zelensky posted a message on Telegram on September 30, stressing that Kiev would not negotiate with Moscow as long as President Putin remained in power. On the same day, the Russian President signed a treaty to annex four Ukrainian territories to the Russian Federation following the results of referendums in the aforementioned regions.

For their part, Ukraine and its Western allies do not recognize the results of the referendums in the above regions. The US also announced new sanctions against Russia. President Zelensky said that the country is accelerating the process of joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

According to Tin Tuc Newspaper