Pope Francis said today that wheat cannot be used as a “weapon of war” after Russia has blocked grain exports by blockading Ukraine’s Black Sea ports. Ukraine says 22 million tons of grain is being held back.
Vladimir Putin’s government claims that the crisis is caused by sanctions imposed by Western countries.
At the end of his weekly meeting at the Vatican, the Pope said he was following the situation in Ukrainian ports “with great concern” and stressed that the lives of millions of people, “especially among the poorest countries”, depend on wheat exports.
Please do not use the basic food wheat as a weapon of war. I sincerely request that every effort be made to solve this problem and to ensure that the universal human right reaches food.
Excerpt from Pope Francis’ speech during his weekly audience
UN (Organization of Nations nations) já warned that the situation could lead to a world food crisis as grain prices rise in the international market.
Yesterday, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said that he is working on a “UN-led naval operation” to provide a safe trade route for exporting agricultural products. Also, both Kyiv and the European Union accuse Russian troops of stealing Ukrainian wheat.
*With information from ANSA
source: Noticias
