Foreign Ministry summons Vatican Nuncio over Pope's words on Dugina

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has summoned the Apostolic Nuncio to Ukraine, Visvaldas Kulbokas, to express disappointment with the words of Pope Francis about the death of Russian journalist Darya Dugina, reports the Foreign Ministry's press service on its official website.

"Visvaldas Kulbokas was told that Ukraine is deeply disappointed by the Pontiff's words, which unfairly equate the aggressor and the victim. At the same time, Pope Francis' decision to mention in the context of the Russian-Ukrainian war the death of a Russian citizen on the Russian territory, which Ukraine has nothing to do with," the statement said.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba stressed during a briefing with his Italian counterpart in Kyiv that the very invitation of the Nuncio to the ministry is a case quite unprecedented and speaks for itself, reports ukrinform.

"I will say bluntly that the Ukrainian heart breaks at the Pope's words. It was unfair," Kuleba added.

The Ukrainian foreign ministry expressed hope that in the future the Vatican will avoid unfair statements "causing disappointment in Ukrainian society".

Earlier, the Pope called Darya Dugina an innocent victim of war.

Later, Ukraine's Ambassador to the Vatican, Andriy Yurash, criticized the pontiff for his words about the dead Russian journalist.