"It is heartbreaking": Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry summons apostolic nuncio because of the Pope's statement about Dugina

KATERYNA TYSHCHENKO — THURSDAY, 25 AUGUST 2022, 21:14

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine has invited the apostolic nuncio to Ukraine, Archbishop Visvaldas Kulbokas, to express the disappointment with the statement of Pope Francis about Daria Dugina; she was the daughter of Aleksandr Dugin, the architect of the concept of the so-called Russian peace.

Source: Dmytro Kuleba, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, at a joint briefing with his Italian colleague Luigi Di Maio in Kyiv, reports Ukrinform

Quote: "We have carefully read the full quote of Pope Francis and, first of all, decided to invite the Apostolic Nuncio to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to express Ukraine's disappointment with these words."

Details: Kuleba also informed that the nuncio was at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday, and a statement on this matter with details will appear soon. The head of Ukrainian diplomacy noted that the invitation of the nuncio to the ministry in itself is a rather unprecedented case and speaks for itself.

"And secondly, I will say frankly that the Ukrainian heart was broken by the Pope's words. That was unfair," the minister added.

Background: On 24 August, Pope Francis commented on the murder of Daria Dugina, the daughter of one of the ideologue of the "Russian peace" Alexander Dugin: "I think of the poor girl who was blown up by a bomb that was under the car seat in Moscow. The innocent are paying for the war."

Background:

•       On 20 August, a car with Daria Dugina, who wrote for RT, the Russian propaganda news network, exploded in the suburbs of Moscow.
•       The Office of the President of Ukraine denied Kyiv's involvement in Dugina's murder.
•       Russia said that Dugina's murder was committed by Ukrainian special services, and the explosive device was activated remotely.
•       The Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation came up with the idea that a Ukrainian woman Nataliia Vovk, allegedly responsible for the explosion, served in "Azov" – the soldiers of the regiment denied this. 

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Become our patron, support our work!