Russia has received a statement from the Vatican in apology for Pope Francis’ statements for comments made about «cruel» Russian soldiers of Russian ethnic minorities, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said during a briefing in Moscow on Thursday.
«Just literally at this hour, through diplomatic channels, an appeal was received from the Vatican, containing an official statement on behalf of the Holy See’s Secretary of State, Pietro Parolin, in connection with the above-mentioned statement of the Pontiff,» the spokeswoman said while declaring the incident resolved.
According to the Russian news agency TASS, Zakharova proceeded to read the contents of the letter: «The Vatican Secretariat of State apologizes to the Russian side. The Holy See has deep respect for all the peoples of Russia, their dignity, faith and culture, as well as for other countries and peoples of the world,» the spokeswoman read.
The spokeswoman applauded the Vatican’s gesture and acknowledged that, in addition to the Holy See’s ability to call for dialogue, there is the «ability to conduct this dialogue and to listen to the interlocutors». The controversy has been settled and Russia hopes to maintain «constructive interaction with the Vatican».
Previously, Pope Francis called Chechen and Buryat soldiers, belonging to Russian ethnic minorities, «the cruelest part of the Russian troops in Ukraine» during an interview for an American media.
