Pope Francis urges Russia to return to Ukraine grain deal

Pope Francis on Sunday called on Russia to return to the agreement that had allowed the safe passage of Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea to world markets. The Ukraine grain deal was agreed last year and allowed around 33 million tonnes of grain to leave Ukrainian ports, helping to stabilise global food prices and avert shortages. "I am calling on my brothers, the authorities in the Russian Federation, to re-establish the Black Sea initiative so that the wheat could be safely transported", Francis said during his weekly Angelus prayer. "We are constantly praying for martyred Ukraine, where...