Pope Francis has called on Ukraine to have the courage to wave the white flag and begin negotiations with Russia. The pope made the comment in an interview with the Swiss broadcaster RSI.

Pope Francis: “It is one interpretation, it’s true, but I think that the strongest one is the one who looks at the situation, thinks about the people and has the courage of the white flag, of negotiating. And today you can negotiate with the help of the international powers. There are some. … The word 'negotiate' is a courageous word. When you see that you are defeated, when things are not going well, you have to have the courage to negotiate. One may feel shame, but how many dead will the war end up with? And it will end even worse. One should negotiate in time, find a country that can be a mediator.”

Several Ukrainian and European officials criticized the pope’s call for negotiations.