The Pope calls on Putin to “stop the spiral of violence and death” in Ukraine

The Pope has explicitly urged the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, to “stop the spiral of violence and death” in Ukraine “also for the love of his people” in an atypical Angelus, in which he has also expressed his concern at the ” nuclear threat” and has deplored the territorial annexations “contrary to international law”. September 2013 with the war in Syria. “I deeply regret the serious situation that has occurred in recent days, with new actions contrary to the principles of international law. In fact, it increases the risk of nuclear escalation, to the point of making fear uncontrollable and catastrophic consequences throughout the world”, lamented the Pope regarding Moscow’s decision to annex four territories of Ukraine. The Pontiff, who does not usually appoint heads of state or government in public appeals, has explicitly addressed the “president of the Russian Federation” to implore the end of the war. He then asked “the president of Ukraine” to be open “to serious proposals for peace”. “To all the protagonists of the international community and the political leaders of nations, I urge you to do everything in to put an end to the ongoing war, without allowing themselves to be dragged into dangerous escalations, and to promote and support initiatives for dialogue”, he said. Francis has disrupted the traditional structure of the Angelus prayers, which he presides over every Sunday, and has decided to dedicate the entire Marian prayer to the situation in Ukraine. “The course of the war in Ukraine has become so serious, devastating and threatening that it causes me great concern. That is why today I want to dedicate all my reflections to it before the Angelus. In Indeed, this terrible and inconceivable wound of humanity, instead of healing, continues to bleed more and more, with the risk of spreading”, he added. For this reason, he has renewed his call for an immediate ceasefire. “Let the weapons stop and seek the conditions for a negotiation capable of leading to solutions not imposed by force, but agreed upon, fair, stable”, he exclaimed. Finally, the Pope has made it clear that to achieve peace it is necessary that “the sovereignty and territorial integrity of each country” be respected, as well as “the rights of minorities”.