Russia slams Pope over comments about 'cruel' Chechens in Ukraine

, in which the pontiff blamed most of the cruelty on Chechens and other minorities in an apparent effort to spare ethnic Russian troops from criticism.

But he also said that, while it was the Russian state that invaded Ukraine, "Generally, the cruellest are perhaps those who are of Russia but are not of the Russian tradition, such as the Chechens, the Buryats and so on." Throughout the nine-month war, Francis has tried to spare direct condemnation of Moscow for fear of antagonising the Russian Orthodox Church, which has strongly backed Putin's invasion on religious grounds.

While it wasn't entirely clear what Francis meant by people who follow the "Russian tradition," it could be a reference to the predominantly Russian Orthodox Christian roots of an estimated 68 per cent of the population. Pro-Kyiv volunteers, for example, have named their grouping after a late leader who headed Chechnya's drive for independence from Moscow.

Off course! Let's be honest, they all act like savages, not just chechenians

Spare me the tears . . 🙄

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