The Vatican criticized the European Union for the selective application of international law in armed conflicts.

During a meeting convened by Pope Leo XIV, the Vatican criticized the European Union for the selective application of international law and sanctions in cases of armed conflicts. Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, the prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, stated that Western governments apply moral principles based on political and economic interests, ignoring universal standards. He emphasized that the EU sanctions certain states while supporting others, without reacting to more serious invasions that affect the civilian population.

Fernández called for a more restrictive interpretation of the concept of legitimate self-defense and rejected the argument of preventive war, highlighting that the Catholic doctrine of just war has been used to legitimize conflicts that are inconsistent with the Church's morality. Pope Leo XIV promised a rigorous analysis of the doctrine in light of changes in modern conflicts.