Russia claims Pope Francis has apologized for comments on Russian minorities

MADRID, 15 Dic. (EUROPA PRESS) -

Russia has received a statement from the Vatican apologizing for Pope Francis' remarks about "cruel" Russian soldiers from Russian ethnic minorities, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said during a briefing in Moscow this Thursday.

"Just literally at this hour, through diplomatic channels, an appeal was received from the Vatican, containing an official statement on behalf of the Secretary of State of the Holy See, Pietro Parolin, in relation to the aforementioned statement by the Pontiff," said the spokeswoman while declaring the incident resolved.

According to the Russian agency TASS, Zajarova has proceeded to read the content of the letter: "The Vatican Secretariat of State apologizes to the Russian side. The Holy See has deep respect for all the peoples of Russia, their dignity, faith and culture, as well as by other countries and peoples of the world", the spokesperson read.

The spokeswoman applauded the Vatican's gesture and recognized that, in addition to the Holy See's ability to call for dialogue, there is the "ability to conduct this dialogue and listen to the interlocutors." The controversy has been settled and from Russia they hope to maintain "a constructive interaction with the Vatican."

Earlier, Pope Francis described Chechen and Buryat soldiers, belonging to Russian ethnic minorities, "the cruelest part of the Russian troops in Ukraine" during an interview with a US media outlet.