In a firm response to Pope Francis's call for negotiations with Russia, Ukraine has declared that it will never surrender in the face of the ongoing invasion. Ukraine's Foreign Minister, Dmytro Kuleba, took to social media to reaffirm the country's resilience, stating, "Our flag is a yellow and blue one. This is the flag by which we live, die, and prevail. We shall never raise any other flags."

The rejection came after the 87-year-old Catholic leader urged Ukraine to have the courage to raise the "white flag" of surrender during an interview. Pope Francis suggested that Ukraine negotiate with Russia, which has seized significant portions of Ukrainian territory since launching its invasion in February 2022.

Responding to the pope's remarks, Kuleba called on him to stand on the side of justice and not equate the opposing sides by labeling their discussions as "negotiations". Kuleba also referenced the Vatican's strategy in the first half of the 20th century, alluding to Catholic church collaboration with Nazi forces during World War II.

Expressing gratitude for the pope's prayers for peace, Kuleba expressed hope that Pope Francis would visit Ukraine to support the millions of Ukrainians affected by the conflict. Meanwhile, the foreign minister of Poland, Radoslaw Sikorski, a vocal ally of Ukraine, criticized the pope's statement and urged him to encourage Russia to withdraw its army from Ukraine.

Andrii Yurash, Ukraine's ambassador to the Holy See, equated the pope's comments to calling for negotiations with Hitler while raising a flag of surrender. Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk, the head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, echoed this sentiment, emphasizing that surrender was not an option for Ukrainians who remained resilient despite the ongoing fighting in various parts of the country.

A Vatican spokesperson, Matteo Bruni, later clarified that the pope's intention was to support a halt to hostilities through the courage of negotiations, rather than advocating for Ukraine's surrender. While Pope Francis has maintained the Vatican's traditional diplomatic neutrality, he has also acknowledged some understanding for Russia's concerns, such as NATO's eastward expansion.

Ukraine remains steadfast in its stance of not directly engaging with Russia in peace talks, as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly emphasized that negotiations must come from the country that initiated the invasion.

As the conflict continues to escalate, Ukraine stands resolute in its determination to defend its sovereignty and preserve its identity, vowing never to surrender.

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