Pope Francis Says NATO May Have 'Pushed' Russia To invade Ukraine

The pope has repeatedly called for an end to the hostilities in the war-torn country [Vatican Media via Reuters]  

Politico: Pope says NATO may have caused Russia’s invasion of Ukraine 

Francis says transatlantic military alliance was ‘barking’ at Russia’s door. 

ROME — Pope Francis said that NATO “barking” at Russia’s door may have led to Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine — and said he has offered to meet the Russian president in Moscow. 

In an interview with the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, Francis reflected on Russia’s lethal aggression toward its neighbor and said while he might not go as far as saying NATO’s presence in nearby countries “provoked” Moscow, it “perhaps facilitated” the invasion. 

Francis also condemned the “brutality” of the war and compared it to Rwanda’s civil war in the 1990s, which resulted in a genocide of the Tutsi minority. 

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Update #1: Pope Francis Says NATO Started War in Ukraine by ‘Barking at Putin’s Door’ -- Daily Beast  

Update #2: Pope Admits NATO Likely Provoked Putin's Invasion: "Barking At The Gates Of Russia" -- Zero Hedge  

WNU Editor: There are many reasons why President Putin made the decision to invade Ukraine. NATO and U.S. refusal to address Russia's security concerns certainly did not help.