Pope Francis, on Tuesday, said that Russia's invasion of Ukraine was "perhaps in some way provoked or not impeded". He made the remarks during an interview with Jesuit magazine La Civiltà Cattolica, which was published Tuesday. The Pope condemned “the ferocity, the cruelty of Russian troops”. He also hailed the heroism of the Ukrainian people. He told Reuters, “This is what moves us: to see such heroism. I would really like to emphasise this point, the heroism of the Ukrainian people. What is before our eyes is a situation of world war, global interests, arms sales and geopolitical appropriation, which is martyring a heroic people."
The Pope in the interview also critiques NATO and said before Russia's invasion, Russian President Vladimir Putin had met with a head of state who expressed concern that NATO was "barking at the gates of Russia" in a way that could lead to war, a Sky News report reads.
The Pope also said that war results in poverty and it “strikes those who are defenceless and vulnerable”.
When asked if he was pro-Putin, the Pope said, “No, I am not, I am simply opposed to reducing complexity to a distinction between good and bad – without thinking about roots and interests, which are very complex.”
