Pope Francis suggests Putin was ‘in some way provoked’ into invading Ukraine

Francis criticises ‘cruelty of Russian troops’ but also hits out at the west, saying he refuses to characterise conflict as between ‘good and bad’

Pope Francis has suggested Russia’s invasion of Ukraine may have been “in some way provoked” in his latest comments that fall far short of condemning Vladimir Putin as an aggressor towards his European neighbour.

The pontiff insisted he is not in favour of the Russian president’s actions or generally “pro-Putin”, but said he refused to characterise the Russia-Ukraine war as a distinction between “good and bad”.

The Pope made the comments last month while speaking with the editors of 10 European Jesuit cultural magazines of the Society of Jesus, and a transcript of the conversation was published on Tuesday by the Jesuit journal Civilta Cattolica and Italian media.

Francis has previously called Russia’s invasion of Ukraine “cruel and senseless” and has also repeatedly spoken about the suffering of Ukrainians.

The Pope has kissed the Ukrainian flag and, in May, he met with Ukrainian women who said their husbands were among those defending the Mariupol steel plant.

But some criticis have said his messaging regarding the war has left much to be desired. He has conspicuously avoided criticising the Russian president for the invasion of Ukraine and has not explicitly called him an aggressor. At the same time, he has criticised the west’s sanctions and defence spending.

Speaking to the Jesuit editors, Francis said that several months before the 24 February invasion he had met with a head of state who expressed concern that Nato was “barking at the gates of Russia” in a way that could lead to war.

Francis then said, in his own words: “We do not see the whole drama unfolding behind this war, which was perhaps somehow either provoked or not prevented.”

Asking himself rhetorically if that made him “pro-Putin,” he said: “No, I am not. It would be simplistic and wrong to say such a thing.”

The Pope then went on to explain how he had made efforts to speak to Mr Putin about stopping the war – but not before he had contacted the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky.

“The first day of war I called the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, on the phone. But I didn’t call Putin. I had a chance to speak to him in December for my birthday, but this time no, I didn’t try to contact him,” he was quoted as saying by Italian newspaper Corriere Della Sera.

“It was meant to be a clear gesture for the whole world to see, and for that reason, I paid a visit to the Russian ambassador. I asked for explanations and told him, ‘in the name of God, stop this war’.”

“Later on, about 20 days into the war, I asked Cardinal Parolin to convey my message to Putin, that I was ready to travel to Moscow,” the pontiff told the Italian newspaper.

“For sure, I was waiting for some kind of opening gesture from the Kremlin leader. We received no answer whatsoever, but we keep pressing them on this issue. I fear, however, that Putin cannot, or does not want to agree to our meeting at the moment.”

While condemning “the ferocity, the cruelty of Russian troops, we must not forget the real problems if we want them to be solved,” Francis said, mentioning the global arms industry as among the factors that provide incentives for war.

“It is also true that the Russians thought it would all be over in a week. But they miscalculated. They encountered a brave people, a people who are struggling to survive and who have a history of struggle,” he said.

“This is what moves us: to see such heroism. I would really like to emphasise this point, the heroism of the Ukrainian people. What is before our eyes is a situation of world war, global interests, arms sales and geopolitical appropriation, which is martyring a heroic people,” he said.

La Stampa also reported that the pontiff labelled Russia’s use of mercenaries in Ukraine — including Chechens and Syrians — as “monstrous.” He described the Russian troops as “ferocious and cruel”.

Meanwhile, the Pope said he hopes to meet Patriarch Kirill, head of the Russian Orthodox Church, in Kazakhstan in September.

He has cancelled his participation in a yearly Mass and procession next weekend due to ongoing knee pain, the Vatican said on Monday.

Additional reporting by agencies

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