(23 Sep 2023)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
++PLEASE NOTE SOURCE AMENDMENT++
ASSOCIATED PRESS
On board papal plane en route to Rome - 23 September 2023
1. Pope during plane briefing
2. SOUNDBITE (Italian) Pope Francis:
“Not to make illusions that tomorrow the two leaders will go out together to eat, but to do whatever is possible. I’ve seen now that some countries are pulling back and aren’t giving weapons. This will start a process where the martyrdom is the Ukrainian people, certainly. And this is bad.”
3. Pope getting up and leaving
STORYLINE:
Pope Francis on Saturday labeled the weapons industry as being a key driver of the “martyrdom” of Ukraine’s people in Russia’s war, saying even the withholding of weapons now was going to continue their misery.
Francis appeared to refer to Poland’s recent announcement that it was no longer transferring arms to Ukraine when he was asked about the war during brief remarks to reporters while returning home from Marseille, France.
Francis acknowledged he was frustrated that the Vatican's diplomatic initiatives hadn't borne much fruit, but said that behind the Russia-Ukraine conflict was also the weapons industry.
He described the paradox that was keeping Ukraine a “martyred people” - that at first many countries gave Ukraine weapons, but now were taking them away.
It was an apparent reference to a comment by Prime Minister Mateusz Morawieck, who said during a recent interview that Poland was no longer sending arms to Ukraine, as it needed to modernise its own army.
A government spokesman later clarified that the country was now only providing supplies of ammunition and armaments that had previously been agreed.
AP video shot by Paolo Santalucia
Produced by Trisha Thomas
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