The Pope criticized the man who sparked the conflict in Ukraine "closed in the anachronistic claims of nationalist interests"

Pope Francis once again spoke sharply about the war in Ukraine. The pontiff made his statement during a visit to Malta.

Francis noted that people believed that “invasions from other countries, violent street fights and atomic threats were only dark memories of a distant past,” but this turned out not to be the case. The Pope has criticized the man who started the war without naming him by name.

And while once again someone powerful, unfortunately locked in the anachronistic claims of nationalist interests, provokes and fuels conflict, ordinary people feel the need to build a future that will either be shared or not at all.

At the end of his speech, Francis offered to "not let the dream of peace die out."

• Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, the Pope has repeatedly called for an end to the conflict. He called the killing of children and civilians barbaric, and described Mariupol as a "city of martyrs."