Pope Francis calls for Concrete steps to end war in Ukraine

By Jjunju Francis

24^th Aug 2022

Pope Francis is calling for “concrete steps” to end the war in Ukraine and avert the risk of a nuclear disaster at the Zapo-riz-zh-ia nuclear power plant.

Speaking at his weekly general audience in the Vatican on Ukraine’s Independence Day, he condemned wars as “madness” and referred to the death of “poor girl” Darya Dugina, daughter of a prominent Russian ultra-nationalist, in a car bombing near Moscow on Saturday.

He also called arms merchants who profit from war “delinquents who kill humanity”.

In an interview with Reuters last month, Pope Francis said he wanted to visit Kyiv but wanted to go to Moscow first to promote peace.

High celebrations were banned because of concerns they could become a target.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his wife, Olena, have visited a memorial to soldiers in Ukraine and laid yellow and blue flowers at Kyiv’s Memory Wall of Fallen Defenders of Ukraine, to mark the country’s annual Independence Day.

In a video address earlier today, Zelensky vowed to “liberate” all of Ukraine’s territories occupied by Russia without “any concession or compromise”.

It comes on the same day Russia’s invasion of the country reaches the sixth-month mark.

International leaders have been expressing their solidarity with Ukraine with the US President Joe Biden confirming that the US is sending Ukraine nearly $3bn (£2.5bn) in a fresh package of weapons and equipment for defensive purposes.

Jens Stoltenberg, secretary general of Nato has said that The war in Ukraine will “most likely end at the negotiating table”.