Rome: Pope Francis has sharply criticized the violence and brutality of the Russian military in Ukraine and praised the heroism and courage of the Ukrainians. The pope made the critical remarks during a meeting with European editors of Jesuit magazines at the Vatican last month. On Tuesday, the Italian dailies La Stampa and Avvenir published reports.
The pope has said that there are no “good and bad” people and that NATO’s eastern expansion has angered Russia, harshly criticizing the Russian occupation. Some may say he is in favor of Putin in this situation. However, he clarified that this was not the case.
When we see the violence and cruelty of the Russian military, we must not forget the efforts to solve the problems. He confirmed that the Russian Patriarch, who had justified the war, would meet with Kirill. At the same time, he praised the courage of the Ukrainians and reiterated that they have a right to defend themselves. Russia thought it would end in a week. But the pope said the Ukrainians had miscalculated.