A truce would only benefit Putin – Zelenskyy

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has ruled the idea of any truce in response to Pope Francis' remarks that Ukraine should have the "courage of the white flag" and negotiate an end to the war caused by Russia's full-scale invasion.

Source: Volodymyr Zelenskyy in an interview with French BFM TV

Quote: "For Putin, a ceasefire would be a breath of fresh air. This would not be [peace] negotiations, but a way to restore the combat capability of the army and train young conscripts."

Details: Zelenskyy also believes that the truce will allow Russia to produce more ammunition.

Quote: "We find North Korean shells and missiles, which indicates that [Russia] has a shortage of certain weapons."

Details: Despite this, Zelenskyy spoke out in favour of a peace plan that can be drawn up in Switzerland during the Peace Summit. Countries that support this plan could then "hand it over to representatives of the Russian Federation".

Background:

• On 9 March, Reuters reported that Pope Francis said in an interview this February that Ukraine should have what he called "the courage of the white flag" and negotiate an end to the war with Russia.The Vatican later clarified the Pope’s words, stressing that he called for a ceasefire and the resumption of negotiations, not the surrender of Ukraine, and emphasising the Pope’s words that "Negotiation is never a surrender."

• The statement caused a stir and was met with a lot of criticism.

• Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski said in response to Pope Francis’s statement that the Pope should ask Russian President Vladimir Putin to withdraw his occupation forces from Ukraine. Peter Stano, spokesperson for the European Commission, stressed that peace lies in the hands of one person, and that's Vladimir Putin, who continues to wage war every day.

• Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba responded to Pope Francis’s suggestion by saying that Ukraine’s flag is yellow and blue, not white.

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