Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Saturday that the culture that is keeping Ukrainians united and steadfast against the enemy is as powerful as its weapons.
Zelenskyy spoke at the ceremony for the Taras Shevchenko National Prize, Ukraine's top cultural award. He thanked cultural leaders who help maintain the history and cultural identity of the Ukrainian people through their works, art and teaching.
"For a human community to become a nation and a state, the best characters in the country must have hearts that do not live only for themselves. Such hearts speak to those around them. They care. They teach — teach to understand. They unite. Protect. Save when necessary. And in the end, we all recognize each other, feel each other, feel that we are Ukrainians," he said.
Zelenskyy thanked everyone "who is now on the front lines and who is with those who are on the front lines."
Papal message
With fierce fighting continuing between Ukraine and Russia, Pope Francis urged Ukraine to "have the courage to negotiate" an end to the war with Russia, now in its third year.
According to a transcript of the pontiff's interview last month with Swiss broadcaster RSI and a partial video made available to Reuters on Saturday, the pope made the comments when asked whether Ukraine should surrender because it has not been able to repel Russian forces, or if doing so would legitimize actions by the strongest party.
In the question the interviewer used the term "white flag" to refer to peace negotiations initiated by Ukraine.
"It is one interpretation, that is true," Francis said adding, "I think that the strongest one is the one who looks at the situation, thinks about the people and has the courage of the white flag, and negotiates," he said, adding that talks should take place with the help of international powers.
The interview is slated for broadcast on March 20.
A spokesperson for Zelenskyy did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the pope's remarks.
Zelenskyy has said that while he wants peace, he will not give up any territory. The Kremlin has ruled out engaging in peace talks on terms set by Kyiv.
Turkey to host peace summit
Pope Francis made his comments well before the announcement Friday by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to host a peace summit between Ukraine and Russia. The Turkish leader expressed his intentions after a meeting with Zelenskyy in Istanbul.
"We are giving our utmost contribution for the war to end on the basis of negotiations," Erdogan said, reiterating Ankara's support for Ukraine's sovereignty.
Ankara "will once again emphasize that our strong support for the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine, including Crimea, continues," a Turkish diplomatic source told Agence France-Presse.
Last week, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan urged Ukraine and Russia to begin cease-fire talks after meeting with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, and added that such talks must not mean the recognition of Russia's occupation.
As part of its balancing act between Ukraine and Russia, Ankara has offered to host peace talks while keeping up its defense industry ties with Ukraine and deepening its energy cooperation with Russia. Additionally, it has inked an accord to take part in the post-war reconstruction of Ukraine.
Russian attacks continue
Ukrainian officials say three people were killed, including a 16-year-old boy, in Russian artillery attacks that hit the town of Chervonohryhorivka located across the Dnipro River from the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, while a 7-year-old child was wounded by a Russian bomb that landed Saturday in a residential area, in the southern city of Kherson.
The Russian Defense Ministry said its air force shot down a Ukrainian MiG-29 fighter jet over Pokrovsk, a city in the Donetsk region with an important railroad junction that is a prime Russian target after Ukrainian forces retreated from Avdiivka last month, a significant setback for Ukraine's war effort.
The Russian defense ministry also said Saturday that its forces shot down 41 drones over the Rostov region home to Russia's southern military command.
"Air defense systems on duty intercepted and destroyed over the territories of Belgorod region (one drone), Kursk region (two drones), Volgograd region (three drones) and Rostov region (41 drones)," the Russian army said on social media.
There were no immediate reports of injuries.
Ukraine downs 12 drones
Kyiv's air force said earlier it had downed 12 out of 15 Iranian-made Shahed drones launched by Russia over the eastern Donetsk region and central Dnipropetrovsk and Poltava regions.
In the eastern Donetsk region, Ukraine said Saturday it had evacuated almost 200 people from front-line villages, including 21 children, amid fighting.
Some information for this report was provided by Reuters, The Associated Press and Agence France-Presse.