Russia's Putin is speaking and says:
- we see attempts to blame Russia for problems on global food market
- US decision to print money led to increasing global food prices
- unfavorable situation on global food market is linked to shortsighted policy of Europe in energy
- at the same time they diminished significance of hydrocarbons
- some European countries did not keep long-term contracts for shipments of Russia natural gas
- increased fertilizer prices have nothing to do with the Russia's military operation in Ukraine
- our partners made a lot of mistakes and are now looking for a scapegoat
- situation will worsen due to sanctions on our fertilizers
- reports that Russia does not allow grain exports from Ukraine towards are a bluff
- our estimates show that Ukraine could export 5 million tons of wheat and 7 million tons of corn
- Russia will increase its grain export to 50 million tons
- We are not blocking exports of grain from Ukraine
- Ukraine can export grain from ports it control such as Odessa
HMMMM The "passing of the buck" (to US and Europe), and reluctance to take any blame is not a recipe for any some sort of diplomatic solution to the global inflation problems caused by the Ukraine war (or risks from further aggression).
