Ukraine's Foreign Ministry condemns Vatican procession combining stories of children from Ukraine, Russia

Nikolenko wrote about this on Facebook. 

“The Cross Procession. It symbolizes the victory of good over evil, light over darkness, faith over disbelief. Unfortunately, we are forced to state that this year's procession was again marred by an attempt to equate the victim and the aggressor. We are disappointed that the Holy See did not take into account the arguments of the Ukrainian side about the offensive nature of such a gesture. The joint participation of a Ukrainian and a Russian distorts the reality in which Russia has plunged Ukrainians, implementing genocide against them. Moreover, such a step undermines the principles of justice and universal morality, discredits the concept of peace and brotherhood,” Nikolenko wrote.

At the Vatican procession, texts were read out on behalf of a Ukrainian teenager who found refuge in Italy after the occupation of Mariupol, and a young man from the Russian Federation, the brother of a soldier who lost his life and whose father and grandfather went missing.

• The Vatican decided to combine the testimonies of Ukrainian and Russian teenagers during the procession in the Colosseum on April 7, although last year a similar initiative with women caused outrage in Ukraine.