Germany urges Russia to lift Black Sea grain blockade amid famine threat

October 4, 2026 at 11:25 AM2 min

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German Foreign Minister Johann Wadeful called for increased international pressure on Russia to end its blockade of Ukrainian grain exports through the Black Sea, warning that famine is looming worldwide. Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin and Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher supported the initiative and promised to raise the issue with Moscow. India has proposed its own plan to resolve the situation, with Ukraine now considering four international proposals.

Key Facts

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadeful called for increased international pressure on Russia to end the Black Sea grain blockade after talks at the Vatican.
Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin and Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher supported the initiative and promised to raise the issue with Russia.
India has proposed its own plan to resolve the Black Sea situation, according to Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga.
Ukraine has four proposals from international partners: India, Turkey, Egypt, and the United States.
Russian President Vladimir Putin rejected proposals for a mutual cessation of strikes on energy facilities and on ships in the Black Sea.

Diplomatic Pressure

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadeful met with Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin and Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher to discuss the grain blockade. Wadeful called on Europe and the Global South to raise the issue of the blockade more actively. Vatican representative Gallagher supported the initiative and promised to raise the issue of resuming exports during negotiations with Russia. Wadeful emphasized that time is running out and famine is looming worldwide, with grain at risk of spoiling before reaching buyers.

International Proposals

India has proposed its own plan to help resolve the situation in the Black Sea, according to Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga. Ukraine currently has four proposals from international partners: India, Turkey, Egypt, and the United States. Kyiv is ready for an energy and Black Sea ceasefire but wants these two tracks to be linked. Russian President Vladimir Putin has effectively rejected proposals for a mutual cessation of strikes on energy facilities in Russia and Ukraine. Putin also did not support the idea of halting strikes on ships in the Black Sea in exchange for stopping attacks on Russian oil refineries.