Why did Pope Francis say Ukraine should have the 'courage to raise the white flag'?

Pope Francis attends an event in Rome (Italy) on March 8.

In a recent interview, Pope Francis said Ukraine should have what he called the "courage to raise the white flag" to negotiate an end to the war with Russia after more than two years of conflict.

The remarks were made in an interview recorded by Swiss radio station RSI in February, before Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan offered to host a summit between Ukraine and Russia. The interview is scheduled to air on March 20.

According to Reuters, Mr. Erdogan made the new offer after a meeting in Istanbul (Turkey) with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Mr. Zelensky said that although he wanted peace , he would not give up any territory.

The Ukrainian leader's peace plan calls for Russian troops to withdraw from all of Ukraine and restore the country's borders. The Kremlin has ruled out participating in peace talks on Kyiv's terms.

A spokesman for Mr Zelensky did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the pope's remarks.

During the interview, Pope Francis was asked about his position on the debate between those who believe Ukraine should stand down because it cannot repel Russian forces, and those who argue that doing so would legitimize the actions of the strongest side. The interviewer used the term “white flag” in the question.

"I think the strongest person is the one who looks at the situation, thinks about the people and has the courage to take up the white flag, and negotiate. Negotiation is a courageous word. When you see that you are losing, things are not going well, you have to have the courage to negotiate," according to Pope Francis.

In a statement, Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said Pope Francis had taken up the interviewer's phrase "white flag" and used it "to signify the cessation of hostilities in order to achieve a ceasefire achieved through the courage of negotiation".

Last year, Pope Francis sent his special peace envoy, Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, to Ukraine, Russia and the United States to seek the views of leaders in those countries.

During the interview, Pope Francis also said that "negotiation never means surrender", referring to the Hamas-Israel conflict in the Gaza Strip.

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