Ready to mediate to end Russia-Ukraine war, ‘demilitarise hearts’: Pope Francis

Pope Francis said that the Vatican is ready to do anything possible to mediate and put an end to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine in an interview with Italian daily La Stampa.

Asked whether he believed that peace between Russia and Ukraine is possible, Pope Francis said that no one should 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,” Pope Francis told the paper.

The comments come at a time when Russian missiles and shells hit Ukrainian positions in several regions as heavy fighting continued in Donetsk in the east. Ukraine’s energy infrastructure was under persistent attack by Russian missiles from the Kyiv in the north to Dnipro in central Ukraine and Odesa in the south.