US President Joe Biden and a Vatican envoy discussed the Russian invasion of Ukraine and deportation of Ukrainian children Tuesday, the White House said.
Biden and Cardinal Matteo Maria Zuppi discussed the papacy's efforts to provide "humanitarian aid to address the widespread suffering caused by Russia’s continuing aggression in Ukraine, as well as the Vatican’s advocacy for the return of forcibly deported Ukrainian children," a White House statement said.
Zuppi, archbishop of Bologna and president of the Italian Episcopal Conference, came to the White House at the request of Pope Francis, the Biden administration said.
Biden, only the second Roman Catholic to become US president, also delivered "his wishes for Pope Francis's continued ministry and global leadership and welcomed the recent nomination of a US archbishop as cardinal," the White House said.
01:40am: Russia strikes Ukraine's Odesa port for second night
Russia launched air attacks on Odesa for a second night in row but the key port will not be intimidated and will continue its work to export grains,Ukrainian officials said early on Wednesday.
The Odesa region's governor, Oleh Kiper, said on social media that air defence systems were engaged in repelling the Russian air attack and urged residents of the region to stay in shelters.
The attacks on Odesa, one of Ukraine's main ports for exporting grain, followed a pledge of retaliation by Russia after a blast on a bridge linking Russia to the Crimean Peninsula on Monday that Moscow blamed on Ukraine.
Shortly after the bridge was hit on Monday, Moscow withdrew from the year-old grain agreement, a move the United Nations said risked creating hunger around the world.
12:17am: Ukraine's FM says need to find alternative to Black Sea grain deal
Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said an alternative to the Black Sea grain deal had to be found and "there are very active discussions now."
The European Union said on Tuesday it is seeking to transport more Ukrainian grains via road and rail. While appreciative of EU efforts, Kuleba said Ukrainian exports through Europe would not be able to "compensate for the absence of deliveries from Ukrainian ports on the Black Sea."
Kuleba said the focus on reviving Black Sea shipments was either to continue within the existing framework or create a new model, but added: "The problem, of course, is what is going to happen if Russia decides to attack a vessel carrying grain."
"We have to take risks and we have to demonstrate that we can carry on without Russia," he told reporters on Tuesday during a visit to the United Nations.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Tuesday in his nightly video address that without Ukraine's exports "the deficit on the global market will, unfortunately, be quite tangible."
"And not only for the poorest countries. Different countries will feel it - from Libya and Egypt to Bangladesh and China," he said. "We are working with our partners to prevent this."
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