Step toward peace would be Putin's decision to lay down arms - von der Leyen on Pope’s remark

She spoke in Berlin during the presentation of the joint program of the CDU and the CSU ahead of the elections to the European Parliament, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"No one yearns for peace more than the people of Ukraine. Everyone is suffering a lot from this war that Putin dragged them into... But peace must be real, just, there must be no occupation, no coercion. We know for sure that a step toward peace can be the moment when Putin lays down his arms – he is an aggressor, he invaded Ukraine," von der Leyen emphasized, commenting on the Pope's recent remark suggesting Ukraine should raise a “white flag” in order to end the war.

She is firmly convinced that in the matter of the terms of peace, it is necessary to hear out Ukrainians who seek to live in an independent and free state.

"We provide support to Ukraine so that it can win this fight," von der Leyen said.

According to the EC President, Putin wants to alter borders by force, but he must not succeed. She assured that Europe stands by Ukraine and strives for the country to become a member of the European family.

At the same time, according to von der Leyen, "it is important that the autocrats in this world, the enemies of democracy, who are Putin's friends, also here in Europe, know that we will defend our democracy based on our values."

At the same time, von der Leyen refused to comment on the issue of the supply of Taurus missiles to Ukraine, in particular, the possibility of a "ring exchange" of missiles between Germany and the UK.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, Pope Francis in an interview with the Swiss broadcaster RSI called for negotiations with Russia to end the war, suggesting that the stronger one is the one who has “the courage of the white flag”.

The head of the Vatican press service, Father Matteo Bruni, commenting on the pontiff’s words, said that the negotiations do not imply capitulation. According to him, the Pope called on all parties to "create conditions for a diplomatic solution in search of a just and lasting peace."

Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Dmytro Kuleba, urged the Vatican not to repeat historical mistakes and consistently support Ukraine and its people in the struggle for their own lives.