On Saturday, Pope Francis indicated that some countries are "manipulating" Ukraine by providing weapons first and then reconsidering their commitments. Francis made his remarks on the flight back from a trip to the coastal city of Marseille, France, in response to a journalist's question about whether he felt frustrated by the lack of success in his peace efforts. He had sent his envoy, Italian Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, to Kyiv, Moscow, Washington, and Beijing to meet with leaders there.
He expressed that he felt "some frustration" and began to speak casually about the arms industry and war. He added, "It seems to me that the interests in this war are not only those related to the Ukrainian-Russian issue but also to the selling of arms and the arms trade." He continued, "We must not manipulate the suffering of this people. We must help them resolve their issues... I see now that some nations are pulling back and do not want to give Ukraine weapons."
When asked for clarification, Vatican spokesperson Matteo Bruni stated that the pope had not taken a position on whether countries should continue sending arms to Ukraine or stop sending them. He added, "His statements reflected the consequences of the arms industry: the pope... was saying that those who trade in arms never bear the consequences of their choices; they leave it for the people, like the Ukrainians, who become martyrs."
Several countries, including the United States, are facing internal political pressure to stop or reduce spending on weapons sent to Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged American lawmakers on Thursday to continue support amid some Republicans' doubts about whether Congress should approve more aid. Francis condemned the international arms trade in general, but he said last year that it is morally legitimate for countries to supply Ukraine with weapons to help the country defend itself against Russian aggression.
