Nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine - US State Department on Pope’s statement
The US Department of State commented on the scandalous statement by Pope Francis, who said that Ukraine should have the courage to raise the white flag and start negotiations with Russia.
This was stated by State Department spokesman Matthew Miller at a briefing, Censor.NET reports citing the EP.
"Of course, we support Ukraine's right to self-defence. We have said over and over again that there is nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine," he stressed.
According to Miller, the United States supports President Zelenskyy's "Formula for Peace" and Ukraine's efforts to end the war.
"But this requires that Vladimir Putin stop his aggression, stop his attempts to seize and hold Ukrainian territory, and agree to negotiate - and he has been unwilling to do so so far," the State Department spokesman added.
What preceded it
Earlier, in an interview recorded in February, Pope Francis said that Ukraine should have the courage to raise the white flag and start negotiations with the aggressor country.
The Vatican later clarified the words of Pope Francis in an interview with Swiss radio and television - Pope Francis is calling for a ceasefire and the resumption of negotiations, not the surrender of Ukraine.
