Pope Francis has reiterated in a new interview that Ukraine should negotiate to end the war with Russia, but this time he used language — adopting his interviewer’s expression, "white flag” — that has drawn attention and raised questions about whether the pope was suggesting that Ukraine surrender.
On Saturday night, Vatican spokesperson Matteo Bruni immediately clarified that the pope meant "cease-fire and negotiation,” not surrender, when he said white flag, a universal symbol for giving up.
But the pope’s words and others he used during the interview have underscored how the Vatican has often bewildered Ukraine’s officials and supporters struggling to understand its position.