Pope Francis has voiced concern over Russia’s military mobilization near the border with Ukraine and called for efforts to ease tensions between the two countries.
In remarks to the public gathered in the Vatican’s St. Peter’s Square on Sunday, the Supreme Pontiff said he observed the military buildup in western Russia with “great apprehension”.
“Please,” he said, “I strongly hope that an increase of tensions is avoided, and that on the contrary, gestures are made capable of promoting reciprocal trust and favouring the reconciliation and peace which are so necessary and so desired.
“Take to heart the grave humanitarian situation facing the population, to whom I express my closeness and for whom I invite prayers.”
In recent weeks Russia has deployed 41,000 troops near the border with eastern Ukraine and another 42,000 troops in Crimea.
The military mobilization has been described by the US and NATO as the largest in the area since the Russian annexation of the Crimean Peninsula in 2014.
On Friday, Maj. Gen. Victor Hanushchyak, deputy commander of Ukraine’s Joint Forces Operation in the east, said the likely goal was “to provoke Ukraine’s armed forces to take offensive actions, pulling them into areas of live fire and inflicting losses”.
For its part, Russia has said the buildup is part of “readiness drills” organized in response to what it claimed were ongoing threats from NATO and “provocations” from Ukraine.
Despite this, as Ukrainian premier Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with European counterparts in Paris to discuss the situation on Friday, the Russian presidency said it had “positively” received an invitation by US President Joe Biden for a bilateral meeting.
The Russian and American leaders spoke on the phone earlier in the week. According to the White House, Biden had “emphasised the United States’ unwavering commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
