(Reuters) – NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg on Monday made clear his disagreement with Pope Francis’ comments that Ukraine should have the “courage of the white flag” and negotiate an end to the war triggered by Russia’s invasion.
The secretary-general of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) told Reuters, when asked about the Pope’s remarks, that “if we want a negotiated and lasting peaceful solution, the way to get there is to provide military support to Ukraine”.
In an interview at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Stoltenberg said that “what happens around a negotiating table is intrinsically linked to force on the battlefield”.
Asked if his reaction meant that now was not the time to talk about a white flag, Stoltenberg said: “Now is not the time to talk about the Ukrainians surrendering. That would be a tragedy for the Ukrainians. It would also be dangerous for all of us.”
Pope says Ukraine should have “white flag courage” for negotiations
Pope Francis said in an interview that Ukraine should have what he called “white flag” courage and negotiate an end to the war with Russia after the large-scale invasion that began two years ago and killed tens of thousands of people.
The Pope made his comments in a recorded interview last month with Swiss broadcaster RSI, well before the latest offer made on Friday by Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan to host a summit between Ukraine and Russia to negotiate an end to the war.
Erdogan made the new offer after a meeting in Istanbul with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. Zelenskiy said that although he wants peace, he will not give up any territory.