"The daily bread cannot be held hostage by the war": Pope Leo XIV called for allowing grain transport through the Black Sea

Pope Leo XIV called on the parties to the war in Ukraine to allow the safe transport of grain through the Black Sea

Pope Leo XIV wrote about this on the social network X.

The pontiff spoke about the consequences of the war in Ukraine for the poorest countries and appealed to the parties to the conflict.

"The war in tormented Ukraine continues to cause suffering far beyond its borders, especially in the poorest countries, where so many people depend on grain imports. I make a heartfelt appeal to the parties to the conflict to allow for the safe transport of grain through the Black Sea. The daily bread of millions of people cannot be held hostage by the war," wrote Leo XIV.

The war in tormented Ukraine continues to cause suffering far beyond its borders, especially in the poorest countries, where so many people depend on grain imports. I make a heartfelt appeal to the parties to the conflict to allow for the safe transport of grain through the Black Sea. The daily bread of millions of people cannot be held hostage by the war.
— Pope Leo XIV (@Pontifex) October 11, 2026

• Recall that on October 2, Minister of Agrarian Policy Taras Vysotskyi stated that Ukrainian deep-water ports have been blocked by Russian strikes for two months, while alternative routes have managed to secure 45% of exports.
• On October 4, Poland and Romania refused to increase the transit of Ukrainian grain through their territories. According to Politico, if the blockade continues, up to 35 million tons of grain could be stranded in Ukraine this year.