Putin Late Francis Snubs
On June 10th Putin & Francis Met For A Second Time
VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis encouraged Russian President Vladimir
Putin to engage in "sincere" international efforts aimed at bringing
peace to Ukraine as the two men met privately at the Vatican on
Wednesday.
Earlier in the day, the U.S.
ambassador to the Holy See, Kenneth Hackett, said his country would like
to see the Vatican step up its concern about what is happening in
Ukraine during the pope's meeting with Putin, the second time the
Russian leader and Francis have met since the pontiff was elected in
2013.
"We think they could say something more about concern of territorial integrity, those types of issues," Hackett told reporters. "It does seem that Russia is supporting the insurgents. And it does seem that there are Russian troops inside Ukraine."
During the few minutes that Putin and Francis greeted each other and took their leave before and after their 50-minute-long closed door talks, there was no mention of any blame regarding Ukraine, although the protracted hostilities in that Eastern European nation bordering Russia was a main thrust of the discussion.
"As it was
possible to predict in the context of the world situation, the talks
were dedicated principally to the conflict in Ukraine and the situation
in the Middle East," said a Vatican spokesman, the Rev. Federico
Lombardi.
The Holy See is highly worried about the fate of the Christian minority in the Middle East.
Putin
and Francis seemed eager to start their talks, which began quite
tardily. Pulling into a Vatican courtyard in a black stretch limousine,
Putin arrived an hour and 20 minutes late, after flying to Rome from
Milan, where he spent the morning touring the Russian pavilion at the
world's fair and meeting with Italian Premier Matteo Renzi.
In their
talks about Ukraine, Lombardi said, Francis stressed the "need to commit
oneself in a sincere and great effort to achieve peace." Lombardi said
both men "agreed on the importance of reconstructing a climate of
dialogue and that all sides commit oneself to implementing the Minsk
accords."
Francis also stressed that all sides work toward easing the tensions in the regions.
As he has done with other VIP
visitors, the pontiff presented Putin with a medallion depicting an
"angel of peace," who, Francis told the Russian, "conquers all wars and
evokes the solidarity among peoples."
Putin
gave the pope a depiction, embroidered with gold filament, of a church
which had been destroyed in the Soviet era and later reconstructed.
"It was a great pleasure, an honor to meet you," Putin told Francis as he took his leave.
In
Milan, Renzi heaped praise on Russia, calling it a crucial player in
international anti-terrorism efforts, as the Italian premier sought
Putin's help in ending the conflict in Libya that has fueled the
Mediterranean migrant crisis.
Renzi
didn't voice any criticism against the country's actions in Ukraine,
saying simply that they both agreed there must be full implementation of
the Minsk peace accord. Putin for his part stressed the price Italian
businesses are paying for the economic sanctions lodged by the European
Union against Russia, which annexed Crimea from Ukraine during the
conflict.
Because of the Ukraine crisis,
the leaders of the world's industrialized democracies for a second year
in a row refused to let Putin join their G-7 summit. At the summit this
month, they said sanctions against Russia won't be lifted until Moscow
fully implements its part of the Ukraine peace accord, and could be
increased if needed.
Lombardi
said Putin and Francis discussed the conflicts in the Middle East,
notably in Iraq and Syria, a country where Moscow long held influence.
The Vatican statement cited the "urgency" with which the international
community must pursue peace efforts, "assuring at the same time the
necessary conditions for the life of all components of society,
including religious minorities and in particular Christians."
Ending
his long day, Putin took off his dark suit jacket and got together with
his old friend, ex-Premier Silvio Berlusconi. Berlusconi gave him a
warm hug and two large bottles of unspecified content in an encounter at
Rome's main airport, where the Russian was to board a jet to return to
Moscow, according to the Italian news agency ANSA.
(This story has been corrected to show Hackett spoke Wednesday, not Tuesday.)
Putin Meets with Francis
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