ROME ¨C Pope Francis has reiterated in a new interview that Ukraine should negotiate to end the war with Russia, but this time he used language ¡ª adopting his interviewer¡¯s expression, ¡°white flag¡± ¡ª 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.
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