The war in Ukraine weighed heavily on Pope Francis as he arrived on Saturday on the Mediterranean island of Malta for a two-day trip. His visit to the smallest EU country comes at a tense geopolitical time with thousands of migrants crossing the Mediterranean and millions of war refugees from Ukraine. Francis came his closest yet to directly criticizing Vladimir Putin, without using the Russian leader’s name. “We thought that invasions from other countries, brutal street battles and nuclear threats were dark memories from the distant past.” “But the frosty winds of war, bringing only death, de…