Cardinal Vincent Nichols has distanced himself from the Vatican’s refusal to criticise the head of the Russian Orthodox Church for supporting Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.

While the Pope has repeatedly spoken out about the war, he has not publicly condemned Russian President Vladmir Putin or indeed Patriarch Kirill, head of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Speaking at the fourth annual Religion Media Festival, the Archbishop of Westminster said: “We’ve seen a certain caution from the Holy See in not outrightly condemning Russia.”

In a recorded interview with journalist and broadcaster Roger Bolton, the festival’s keynote speaker said: “I don’t think there’s any doubt at all about who is the aggressor.”

The cardinal believes the Pope’s reluctance to condemn Putin is driven by his “deepest desire” to end the conflict.

“Nobody expresses more eloquently the horror of warfare and its destructive nature,” he said of the Pope.

“He would say all this aggression, this destruction, is abominable. It’s awful and it must be brought to a halt. But I think he still wishes to keep that door open. I don’t entertain that stance myself.”

Cardinal Nichols said he personally “could not open a conversation” with Patriarch Kirill because of his support for the Kremlin.

Nevertheless, he “tries to understand some of the difficulties that they’re in”. The ties between church and the “powers that be” are “quite inhibiting,” he said.

“It’s easy from here to say the Patriarch Kirill should be condemning the actions of Putin and the Russian armed forces. But then I don’t wear his shoes and I’m not not under the influences that he’s under.”