Apr 2, 2022 - World

Pope Francis criticizes Putin over Russia's "savage" war

Erin Doherty

Pope Francis speaks to journalists on a plane in Malta, Valletta. — Pope Francis speaks to journalists on a plane in Valletta, Malta, on April 2. Photo: Johannes Neudecker/picture alliance via Getty Images

Pope Francis on Saturday implicitly criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin for launching a "savage" war in Ukraine in his sharpest rebuke of the Russian president yet, AP reports.

Driving the news: "We had thought that invasions of other countries, savage street fighting and atomic threats were grim memories of a distant past,” the Pope told Maltese officials on the Mediterranean island nation during a weekend visit.

Francis also said that the possibility of a visit to Kyiv "is on the table," but a trip has not yet been scheduled.

The big picture: Francis has previously condemned Russia's invasion on Ukraine, saying the "unacceptable armed aggression" and "massacre" must stop, but he has avoided referring to Russia or Putin by name, AP notes.

He also had previously only referred to Russia directly in prayers, Reuters notes.
But on Saturday he inched closer to blaming Putin for the war.
"Once again, some potentate, sadly caught up in anachronistic claims of nationalist interests, is provoking and fomenting conflicts, whereas ordinary people sense the need to build a future that, will either be shared, or not be at all," he said.

Go deeper: Pope Francis visits Ukrainian children at Vatican hospital

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Pope Francis criticizes Putin over Russia's "savage" war

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