Pope criticizes Putin without mentioning his name: “A potentate with nationalist claims that are completely out of date” | Abroad

“Unfortunately, there is another potentate embracing nationalist claims that are utterly outdated,” the pope said during his visit to Malta. “We thought that invasions of other countries, bloody street fighting and threats with nuclear weapons were just bad memories of a distant past. But now a dark shadow of war is coming from eastern Europe.” The pope previously condemned the unwarranted aggression and horror of the war, but kept it neutral on Putin and Russia.

Francis arrived this morning for a two-day visit. He was received by Maltese dignitaries and diplomats in the capital Valletta.

The Pope needed a lift to board the plane. According to a Vatican spokesman, this was necessary “to take away all the stress”. The 85-year-old man suffers from a condition that causes pain in his legs.

It was the first time in 36 trips abroad that the Pope did not climb the plane stairs independently. Trips to Malta were also planned in early 2020 and late 2021, but these were canceled due to corona measures.

Before his departure to Malta, the Pope had briefly met some families in Rome who had fled from Ukraine. The pope confirmed during the flight that a visit to the Ukrainian capital Kiev is being considered. Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelensky, among others, had requested this.

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