Pope Francis wants Ukraine to show “white flag courage” and begin negotiations with Russia

“The word negotiation is a word of courage. When you see that you are defeated, and that things are not going well, you must have the courage to negotiate.”

These are the words of Pope Francis during an interview recorded last month by the Swiss channel RSI. The interview will not be broadcast until March 20, but the transcript and part of the video have already been made available to the British news agency Reuters.

The Pope's words are striking, to say the least. “The stronger side (in the conflict, the liberator) is the one that looks at the situation, thinks about the people, and has the courage of the white flag,” the Pope declared. This means the party requesting negotiation in the conflict.

Francis has also called for negotiations in the past, but this will be the first time a pope has used the words “white flag” and “defeated” when talking about Ukraine. In the past, the Pope described the country as a “martyr.”

According to a Vatican spokesman, the Pope used the term “white flag” to indicate that negotiations are courageous because they can achieve an end to hostilities and a ceasefire. The Pope said during the interview that “negotiating does not mean surrender.”