During a visit to Corsica, Pope Francis referred to the Ukrainian and russian peoples as "cousins" during a prayer. According to Ukrinform, this was reported by Vatican News.
“They are brothers, cousins. They must find common ground. War is always a defeat. Peace for the whole world!”, - the head of the Catholic Church was quoted as saying.
It was noted that Pope Francis made these remarks during a prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary for “long-awaited peace for the Ukrainian and russian peoples”.
As reported, in March 2024, Pope Francis called on Ukraine to negotiate with russia and formally surrender to the aggressor state.