Pope renews call for Easter truce in Ukraine

Pope Francis on Sunday appealed once more for a truce in conflict-torn Ukraine over the Orthodox Easter weekend, “to ease the suffering of exhausted human beings”.

The blue and yellow flag of Ukraine flew among the trustworthy gathered on St Peter’s Square, wherein the chief of the Roman Catholic Church recalled that preventing erupted two months ago on February 24.

“Instead of halting, the war has become worse,” Francis said.

“It is sad that on these most holy and solemn days for Christians we hear more of the murderous noise of weapons than that of the bells announcing the resurrection” of Christ.

“I renew the appeal for an Easter truce, the smallest tangible sign of a willingness for peace,” he pleaded.

“Stop the attacks to ease the suffering of exhausted people,” the pope added, with both Russians and Ukrainians celebrating Orthodox Easter this Sunday.

UN Ukraine crisis coordinator Amin Awad called on Sunday for an “immediate stop” to fighting in Mariupol to allow the evacuation of trapped civilians in the battered port city almost all of which is now under Russian control.

On Palm Sunday, April 10, the pope had referred to as for an Easter truce main “to peace thru veritable negotiations”.

On Thursday he sponsored UN secretary fashionable Antonio Guterres’ very own attraction for a cease to the fighting.