Russia-Ukraine war is ‘a world war’: Pope Francis

Pope Francis said on a recent trip to Kazakhstan that it is a mistake to call the conflict in Ukraine the Russia-Ukraine war, since in reality, it is a world war, the Vatican said Wednesday.

According to news outlets close to the Vatican, the Pope met with some Jesuit priests during his visit to Kazakhstan in mid-September.

It is reported that during the visit, the spiritual leader of Catholics and president of the Vatican made a statement to the Jesuit publication La Civilta Cattolica, and during the meeting, he spoke about the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.

"There is a war going on. I think it is a mistake to think of it as a cowboy movie where there are good guys and bad guys. It is also a mistake to think that this is a war between Russia and Ukraine. No: It's a world war."

The Pope also noted that a visit to Ukraine, which he had previously announced would be possible, is not on the agenda at this stage.

Pope Francis also said that while he was in Kazakhstan, some Ukrainian guests came to him. One of them was the military officer responsible for the prisoner swap between Russia and Ukraine announced by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and he asked if something could be done by giving a list of 300 prisoners. Thereupon, the Pope said that he himself conveyed this matter directly to the Russian ambassador.