Pope Francis says Ukraine war was ‘perhaps somehow provoked’

Pontiff condemns cruelty' of Russian troops while warning against perception of conflict as good v evil

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Pope Francis has said Moscow's invasion of Ukraine was perhaps somehow provoked" as he recalled a conversation in the run-up to the war in which he was warned Nato was barking at the gates of Russia".

In an interview with the Jesuit magazine La Civilta Cattolica, conducted last month and published on Tuesday, the pontiff condemned the ferocity and cruelty of the Russian troops" while warning against what he said was a fairytale perception of the conflict as good versus evil.