Pope Francis appeals to Russians over invasion of Ukraine in Easter message

Pope also calls for dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians, and freedom of religious expression in Nicaragua

Pope Francis appeared to ask Russians to seek the truth about their country’s invasion of Ukraine in his Easter message to the world on Sunday and appealed for dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians after recent violence.

Francis, 86, presided at Easter Day mass in a sunny St Peter’s Square after unseasonal cold forced him to skip an outdoor service on Friday – a precaution after his hospitalisation for bronchitis at the end of March.