Pope Francis blesses and donates ambulance to Ukraine amid Russian invasion

Ambulance donated and blessed by Pope Francis is headed to Lviv, Ukraine’s western city, the Holy See press office said. 

Cardinal Konrad Krajewski will make the approximately 18-hour drive to hand the vehicle over to Lviv authorities in an attempt to help the war-torn country facing Russian invasion. 

Earlier, the Pope criticized countries spending more on war. Meanwhile, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky invited the Pope to visit the nation, saying that the Pope’s stand against the war is admirable. The Pope also asked Russia to stop its violence against Ukraine. 

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Several countries have attempted to aid Ukraine, a nation where many have been displaced due to Russian attacks. Since President Vladimir Putin’s troops have not made much headway on the ground, they have resorted to shelling cities. Places like Mariupol are in dire conditions, with reports emerging of people attacking each other for food. 

Russia has been accused of war crimes in Ukraine for targeting civilians. In the Azov Sea port city, a drama theatre, maternity ward, and art school have been destroyed due to bombings. 

The invasion which began on February 24, has been met with global backlash as Russia faces a barrage of sanctions. The country has now agreed to engage in more active and substantial talks on Ukraine even as Zelensky stated the nation would be open to discussing a ceasefire in exchange for forsaking the NATO membership. 

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This was one of Russia’s key points while troops were gathering near Ukraine’s borders. Moscow said its security was threatened by the presence of military troops and asked NATO to block Ukraine’s entry. Currently, Zelensky has given the military organization an ultimatum to accept Ukraine as a member alleging that they are seemingly afraid to stand up to Russia. While NATO has supported Ukraine, they’ve been careful not to engage with Russia in direct conflict.