Poland responds to Pope Francis: No need for peace talks if Putin leaves Ukraine
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland, Radosław Sikorski (Getty Images)
If Russian dictator Vladimir Putin withdrew his troops from Ukraine, the need for negotiations would promptly cease, according to Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland, Radosław Sikorski.
"How about, for balance, encouraging Putin to have the courage to withdraw his army from Ukraine? Peace would immediately ensue without the need for negotiations," Sikorski wrote on X.
Background
Pope Francis made an unexpected statement about the war in Ukraine. According to the interview, which is scheduled to be released on March 20, the pontiff stated that "the strongest one is the one who looks at the situation, thinks about the people and has the courage of the white flag, and negotiates."
Francis has previously called for a diplomatic resolution of the war between Ukraine and Russia, however, this time he basically for the first time called on Kyiv to surrender.
Francis's statement drew condemnation from Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs, who said that one cannot capitulate before evil.
Meanwhile, the Vatican has already clarified the pontiff's words, noting that Pope Francis did not mean Kyiv's surrender but only dialogue through negotiations.
