ROME, Italy — Pope Francis pointed to the departure of ships filled with grain from Ukrainian ports as fruit of dialogue and a sign of hope Sunday.
Following his weekly Angelus message in the Vatican, the pontiff told the crowd of pilgrims how pleased he was with the departure of the first ships loaded with grain from the ports of Ukraine.
“This step demonstrates that it is possible to dialogue and to reach concrete results for everyone’s benefit,” he said, adding that the event is “a sign of hope” for a better future for the beleaguered nation.
“I sincerely hope that, following in this direction, there might be an end to combat and that a just and lasting peace might be reached,” he concluded.
Russia has been blockading Ukraine’s ports on the Black Sea since it invaded in February but relented last month under a deal brokered by Turkey and the U.N.
A journalist watches as the bulk carrier Razoni starts its way from the port in Odesa, Ukraine, Monday, Aug. 1, 2022. (AP Photo/Michael Shtekel)
The first grain ship to depart Ukraine since the invasion — the Razoni — left the Ukrainian port of Odesa on Monday bound for the Lebanese port of Tripoli. The ship was due to arrive Sunday but has experienced unspecified delays that have pushed back its arrival date.
Even after the signing of the agreement on the unblocking of ports, Russia launched a missile attack targeting Ukraine’s grain reserves, leading to accusations of treachery and doubts whether Russia would ever allow the grain to leave Ukraine.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (R) and U.N. Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres (2nd L) attend the signing ceremony of the Initiative on the Safe Transportation of Grain and Foodstuffs Ukrainian Ports Document, which unblocks Ukrainian grain exports, in Istanbul, Turkey on July 22, 2022. The agreement was signed between Turkey, Russia, Ukraine and U.N. (Mustafa KamacÄ/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Following the missile attacks two weeks ago, Ukrainian Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk said the assault was an example of Russia’s “cynicism” and “treachery.”
In a video message, Archbishop Shevchuk noted the irony of Russia’s assault on the Odesa port taking place “literally the day after the signing of the agreement on the unblocking of ports and the export of Ukrainian grain.”
Russia’s strike on the Odesa port was an attempt to “hit the storage of Ukrainian grain,” Shevchuk said. “What cynicism! What treachery!”
“And even when we see this treachery, we overcome it by cultivating mutual trust,” he declared. “When we see these tragedies of daily missile terrorism, we overcome it with the power of love for our homeland, tirelessly saving the lives of our relatives and loved ones.”