Pope Francis, the spiritual leader of Catholics, has called for the removal of obstacles to wheat exports from Ukraine, saying wheat cannot be used as a ‘weapon of war’.
Addressing thousands of people gathered in St. Peter’s Square, the Pope said, “The blocking of wheat exports from Ukraine is very worrying because the lives of millions of people, especially in poor countries, depend on it. I wholeheartedly call for every effort to solve this problem and guarantee the universal right to nutrition. Please! Do not use wheat, which is a basic foodstuff, as a weapon of war.”
Noting that the global food crisis is worsening, the United Nations (UN) is trying to broker an agreement to remove the obstacle to Ukraine’s grain exports.
Western leaders blame Russia for the crisis facing the world over the closure of ports in Ukraine.
In addition to death and destruction, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has harmed global growth by raising the price of grain, cooking oil, fertilizer and energy in an attempt by the West to isolate Russia as punishment.
The Pope often condemned the invasion and bloodshed. But for the first time he spoke in detail about the global food crisis caused by the war.
