Pope Francis says Vatican ready to mediate to end Ukraine conflict

MILAN, Nov 18 (Reuters) – Pope Francis reiterated on Friday the Vatican was ready to do anything possible to mediate and put an end to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, the pontiff said in an interview with Italian daily La Stampa.

Asked whether he believed reconciliation between Moscow and Kyiv was possible, the pontiff called on everyone not to give up.

“But everyone must commit to demilitarising hearts, starting with their own, and then defusing, disarming violence. We must all be pacifists. Wanting peace, not just a truce that may only serve to rearm. Real peace, which is the fruit of dialogue,” he told the paper.

Reporting by Agnieszka Flak, editing by Gianluca Semeraro

PHOT: Pope Francis leads ‘The cry of the peace’ (Il grido della pace), a prayer for peace in Ukraine and in the world, together with the representatives of the Christian Churches and Communities and of the World Religions, at the Colosseum in Rome, Italy, 25 October 2022. EPA-EFE/MAURIZIO BRAMBATTI