Pope Francis condemned Russia’s “relentless bombings” of Ukrainian cities on Wednesday after Moscow carried out deadly strikes on the war-torn nation. The Pope had earlier appealed to Russian President Vladimir Putin, "begging him to stop this spiral of violence and death" in Ukraine.
What Happened: Speaking to thousands of people at St. Peter's Square in Vatican City, Pope said the bombings, which killed at least 26 people in Kyiv, unleashed a "hurricane of violence" on residents.
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"My heart is always with the Ukrainian people, especially the residents of the places that have been hit by relentless bombings," Pope Francis said.
"May (God's) spirit transform the hearts of those who have the fate of the war in their hands, so that the hurricane of violence stops and peaceful coexistence in justice can be rebuilt."
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Pope has repeatedly offered to speak to Putin to broker a peace deal between the two nations. Earlier last month, Pope said he would keep paths of dialogue with the Russian president open on the Ukraine war, even if doing so "smells."
"I don't exclude dialogue with any power that is in war, even if it's the aggressor," Pope said during a news conference on his way back home from Kazakhstan.
He also said it is morally acceptable to send weapons to Ukraine in its war against Russia. “This is a political decision which it can be moral, morally acceptable if it is done under conditions of morality,” he said.
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