Pope Francis has said that a war in Ukraine would be "madness" and expressed hope that tensions between Russia and Ukraine could be overcome through dialogue, the Vatican News reported.

"Let us continue to beg the God of peace so that the tensions and threats of war can be overcome through a serious dialogue and that the Normandy Format talks can contribute to this aim. And let's not forget. War is madness," he said.

Earlier, the Pope during a collective audience at the Vatican called for prayers for peace in Ukraine.