Vatican City/Kyiv - Pope Francis prayed for Ukraine amid its ongoing war which has lasted over 6 months as Putin accuses Kyiv and West of flouting grain deal.
Towards the end of the weekly General Audience, Pope Francis made an appeal saying, “I do not forget martyred Ukraine”.
The Holy Father encouraged each person to “be a builder of peace and to pray that thoughts and plans of concord and reconciliation will spread in the world” in the face of all the scenarios of war in our time.
“Today we are experiencing a world war, let us please stop!” he urged.
Finally, Pope Francis entrusted the victims of every war, especially the “dear people of Ukraine” to the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Putin accuses West of deception
President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday he wanted to discuss reopening a U.N.-brokered deal that allows Ukraine to export its grain via the Black Sea after accusing Kyiv and the West of using it to deceive developing countries and Russia.
Putin's criticism, which alleged that the deal was delivering grain, fertiliser and other foodstuffs to the European Union and Turkey at the expense of poor countries, is likely to raise fears that the pact could unravel if it cannot be successfully renegotiated.
Ukraine, whose ports had been blockaded by Russia since it invaded in February, said the terms of the agreement were being strictly observed and there were no grounds to renegotiate it.
The agreement, facilitated by the United Nations and Turkey in July, created a protected export corridor via the Black Sea for Ukrainian grain after Kyiv lost access to its main export route when Russia attacked Ukraine via land, air and sea.
Putin said on Wednesday that Ukraine and the West were not honouring its terms and that most of the grain was going to the EU, not to poorer countries.
A member of the World Food Programme (WFP) stands on the dock next to the Brave Commander carrying grain from Ukraine for Africa after it arrived in the port of Djibouti city-image Hugh Rutherford/WFP
According to the United Nations, 88 ships have sailed or are due to sail from Ukraine under the deal so far, and of those two have been World Food Programme ships – one of which went to Djibouti, the other to Yemen.
Russia resumed shelling near Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, a local official said Wednesday, a day after the U.N. atomic watchdog agency pressed for the warring sides to carve out a safe zone there to prevent a catastrophe.
-VN/Reuters/AP