‘Racist’ interview of Pope Francis sparks anger in Russia: ‘This is unforgivable’ | War Ukraine and Russia

The pope said that soldiers from the Buddhist region of Buryatia and the Russian Muslims of Chechnya are more brutal in the war. The pope’s comments were quickly condemned by Russian officials on Monday night. “This is not Russophobia anymore, it’s a perversion on a level I can’t even name,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on her Telegram channel.

“We are one family with Buryats, Chechens and other residents of our multinational and multiconfessional country,” Zakharova added.

Alexandra Garmazhapova, the founder of the anti-war organization Free Buryatia, called the comments “inexcusable and racist”. “I was extremely disappointed when I read these racist, inexcusable statements,” said Garmazhapova. “Russia is waging an imperial war, started and led by Vladimir Putin, who is not a member of any ethnic minority. The pope should personally condemn him, not the ethnic minorities.”

“Let’s not forget that the Russian Orthodox Church is one of the strongest supporters of the war,” Garmazhapova added. She was referring to the public support of Patriarch Kirill, head of the Russian Orthodox Church. “These comments are just wrong on so many levels,” she concludes.

Russia made disproportionate use of ethnic minorities before its invasion of Ukraine. Human rights groups have plenty of evidence of war crimes committed by Russian troops, but there is no evidence that soldiers from national minorities have behaved any worse than ethnic Christian Russians.

It is also not the first time that the pope has been discredited for his views on Ukraine. Kiev has repeatedly criticized the head of the Catholic Church since the beginning of the Russian invasion in February for not sufficiently condemning the Kremlin.

WATCH: Pope criticizes Putin without mentioning his name