Pope blasts Russia’s ‘infantile’ war, EU-Libya deal in Malta

By NICOLE WINFIELD
Associated Press

VALLETTA, Malta (AP) — Pope Francis says he is considering making a visit to the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, and he has blasted Russia’s war in Ukraine as an “infantile and destructive aggression.” He spoke as he arrived Saturday in Malta and delivered his most pointed denunciation yet of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.  Francis didn’t cite Russian President Vladimir Putin by name, but the reference was clear when he told Maltese officials that “some potentate” had unleashed the threat of nuclear war on the world under “anachronist claims of nationalistic interests.” Francis also spoke about the perilous Mediterranean migration route, criticizing Europe’s flawed migration policies for not welcoming people fleeing war, poverty and conflict.