Pope: War in Ukraine fueled by interests of other empires, not only Russia

Pope Francis. Photo: rsi.ch

The war against Ukraine is motivated by the interests of "several empires," not just Russia, says Pope Francis in an interview with RSI.

However, the head of the Roman Catholic Church did not specify which "empires" are fueling the war in Ukraine.

"There are imperial interests there, not just Russian imperial interests, but also those of other empires. It is precisely imperial interests that push the interests of the people into the background... War is being waged, old weapons are being sold, new ones are being tested," he said.

The pontiff also revealed that on the second day of the war, he appealed to Russian President Vladimir Putin to receive him in Moscow for talks. However, according to the Pope, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov denied his request.

"I would speak with him (Putin) as clearly as I speak in public. He is an educated man. On the second day of the war, I was at the Russian embassy to the Holy See to say that I was ready to leave for Moscow if Putin kept the door open for negotiations. Lavrov wrote to me, thanking me but saying that now is not the time. Putin knows that I am available," the head of the Roman Catholic Church added.

As previously reported, the Pope made a statement that effectively justified Russia's aggression against Ukraine.

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