• Ukraine war is “global” and won’t end “soon,” says Pope Francis.
• Russia is not solely to blame for the war.
• Ukraine criticized the Pope for suggesting NATO provoked Russia’s invasion.

Pope Francis says the Ukraine war is “global” and won’t end “soon.”

The Pope seems to imply, not for the first time, that Russia is not solely to blame for the war.

“I don’t see an end in the near future because this is a global war,” he told ABC Sociedad. Remember this. Many hands stir the conflict. Worldwide.

“War is fought when an empire weakens. When weapons are used, tested, and sold. It’s crucial.”

Ukraine criticized the Pope for suggesting NATO provoked Russia’s invasion.

Typical Kremlin rhetoric.

The war has made the pontiff more vocal about Russia.

He compared the war to Stalin’s famine in the 1930s and praised “brave” Ukrainians for fighting for survival.

Earlier this month, he was seen crying in Rome over Ukrainian suffering.

The Pope has offered Vatican mediation to resolve the conflict, but his criticism of Russia makes this unlikely.

In October, the Pope pleaded with Vladimir Putin to stop the “spiral of violence and death” in Ukraine.

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