“Ukraine has the right to defend itself, and Ukraine can count on us to support this,” the German chancellor said on Monday.
German chancellor Olaf Scholes (SPD) agreed with the statement Pope Francis A “white flag” should be raised in the war in Ukraine. “Ukraine has the right to defend itself and Ukraine can support us,” the president said in response to a question about the pope's statement at a press conference in Berlin on Monday with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
“That's why I disagree with the position quoted,” Scholes said. Government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit had previously said Scholz “disagrees with the Pope”. But he also pointed to a Vatican spokesman's assessment of the Pope's statements. Spokesman Matteo Bruni contradicted the pope's call for Ukraine's surrender in an interview with Swiss television.
Referring to the more than two-year-old war in Ukraine, Francis said: “When you see that you are defeated, things are not going well and you have to have the courage to negotiate.” In the interview, Francis was also asked about calls for “the courage to surrender, to raise the white flag.” To which he replied: “It's a question of perspective. But I think the person who understands the situation, thinks about the people, and engages in negotiations with the courage of the white flag is the strongest.”
