Ukraine will “never” raise the white flag, kyiv reacts after a call from Pope Francis to negotiate

kyiv swore on Sunday March 10 to never surrender to Russia, in reaction to the appeal launched by Pope Francis to the belligerents in the conflict in Ukraine to have “the courage to raise the white flag and negotiate.”“Our flag is yellow and blue. This is the flag we live, die and triumph for. We will never raise any other flag”said the head of Ukrainian diplomacy, Dmytro Kuleba, in a message on X.

“When it comes to the white flag, we know the strategy of the Vatican in the first part of the 20th century. I call to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past and to support Ukraine and its people in their fight for life”he added, visibly in reference to the period of the Second World War. He nevertheless said he hoped that the sovereign pontiff “will find the opportunity to make a canonical visit to Ukraine.”

In an interview on public television RTS broadcast on Saturday, Pope Francis, questioned about the situation in Ukraine, called for not having “shame to negotiate before things get worse.” “I believe that the strongest are those who see the situation, think about the people and have the courage to raise the white flag and negotiate,” he said.