German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul has called on Russia to end its Black Sea blockade of Ukrainian grain exports, warning of mounting humanitarian harm in the Global South. He raised the issue with Russia's Sergei Lavrov at the UN General Assembly and will press it further with senior Vatican officials. Wadephul praised Vatican efforts to open dialogue, though Holy See mediation attempts have so far failed. Pope Leo also renewed calls for international action to facilitate talks to end the war.
Wadephul Urges Russia To End Black Sea Grain Blockade, Citing Humanitarian Crisis
German Minister of Foreign Affairs Johann Wadephul visits the German Embassy to participate in a tree-planting ceremony. (is associated with: «Germany's Wadephul calls for swift end to grain blockade») Fabian Sommer/dpa
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul has urged Russia to lift its blockade of Ukrainian grain exports across the Black Sea, calling for an immediate end to restrictions that he says are worsening hunger in vulnerable regions.
"Moscow should permit shipments so that even more people do not have to go hungry and die, particularly in regions where people are already suffering enough,"he said during a visit to Rome on Thursday.
"It would certainly be a major step forward if an agreement could be reached on grain exports, as these are urgently needed in the Global South,"Wadephul added, stressing the humanitarian importance of restoring trade routes.
Wadephul reiterated the appeal during talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, highlighting the issue as a priority in bilateral diplomacy.
The German minister is expected to press the matter further in meetings at the Vatican, where he will meet Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin and Archbishop Paul Gallagher, the Holy See's Secretary for Relations with States.
Vatican Mediation And Diplomatic Context
Archbishop Gallagher previously urged Lavrov in Moscow to enter into "genuine negotiations" with international support, an appeal aimed at opening diplomatic channels. Wadephul — a practising Protestant — welcomed Vatican efforts to facilitate dialogue, saying he was "grateful that attempts are also being made from the Vatican to open channels of dialogue."
Despite those efforts, mediation attempts by the Holy See to broker talks between Kiev and Moscow have not yet succeeded. The article also notes that Pope Leo has reiterated calls for international initiatives to help bring the parties to the negotiating table and seek an end to the wider conflict.
The German foreign minister framed the grain issue in stark humanitarian terms, stressing that reopening export routes is urgently needed to relieve pressure on countries in the Global South facing food insecurity.
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