Pope Lav telephoned with Putin: ‘He sent an appeal to Russia to make a gesture that favors peace …’
Pope Lav urged Russia to take steps towards the end of the conflict in Ukraine, in his first interview with President Vladimir Putin, Vatican said on Wednesday.
– The Pope sent an appeal to Russia to make a gesture that favors peace, emphasizing the importance of dialogue to achieve positive contacts between the sides and the search for a conflict solution – said the Vatican.
In doing so, it confirmed that the Lav, the first US Pope, spoke with Putin on Wednesday afternoon. Publishing a press release is not common for the Vatican.
– There was talk of a humanitarian situation, the need to make it easier to help where it is necessary, with liquid efforts to exchange prisoners and the importance of action performed by the Cardinal (Matteo) Zuppi – added the Vatican.
Zuppi, Archbishop Bologna, was the Vatican peace envoy for Ukraine. Putin thanked the Lion for offering aid in dealing with conflict, but also emphasized that Ukraine intends to « escalate » the war, Kremlin said.
US President Donald Trump previously said the Pope offered to host negotiations between Russia and Ukraine in the Vatican. However, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and other officials said that the Vatican is not a suitable place for peace negotiations between the two majority Orthodox countries.
Putin emphasized « that the Kiev regime of conflict escalating and conducts sabotage against civilian infrastructure in the Russian territory, » the statement said, adding that it is a terrorism. The Kremlin reiterated that the « root causes » of the conflict had to be resolved, alluding to the Russian demands for Ukraine to adopt neutral status and that NATO to exclude the spread to the east.
In a statement of the Vatican, thanks to the Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kiril on the congratulations when the lion was elected. Pope Francis criticized Kiril’s support for Putin.
