By Philip Pullella ROME (Reuters) -Pope Francis has taken a new series of swipes at Russia for its actions in Ukraine, saying its troops were brutal, cruel and ferocious and that the invasion violated a country’s right to self-determination. In the text of a conversation he had last month with editors of Jesuit media and published on Tuesday, he praised “brave” Ukrainians for fighting for survival but also said the situation was not black and white and that the war was “perhaps in some way provoked”. While condemning “the ferocity, the cruelty of Russian troops, we must not forget the real pro…