Sanctions might drive up global food prices, says Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin warned on Thursday that Western sanctions on Russia for its activities in Ukraine might drive up global food costs since Russia is a major producer of fertiliser, which is important to global supply chain network.

“Russia and Belarus are some of the biggest suppliers of mineral fertilisers. If they continue to create problems for the financing and logistics of the delivery of our goods, then prices will rise and this will affect the final product, food products,” Putin stated.

Russia-Ukraine War Updates

The 15th day of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine saw Russian military strike at various places in Zhytomyr and Mariupol. Ukraine’s President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has stated that his country will no longer pursue Nato membership, which has been a source of conflict between Kyiv and Moscow.

Meanwhile, in Turkey, negotiations between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba came to a halt. Russia has refused to grant Ukraine’s request for a humanitarian passage to and from Mariupol, according to Foreign Minister Kuleba.

Oleg Ustenko, Ukraine’s senior economic adviser, said on Thursday that Russian soldiers have destroyed infrastructure, buildings, and other physical assets worth at least $100 billion. According to Ustenko, Ukraine’s main economic adviser to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the war has caused half of the country’s firms to close altogether, while the other half is running at a fraction of their capacity.

On Thursday, Russia’s energy ministry said that Belarusian experts have restored power to the Chernobyl nuclear power facility. The facility had lost power after being cut off by Russian soldiers, who seized it roughly two weeks ago, according to Ukraine’s state energy company.

According to the Kyiv Independent, quoting the Ukrainian ombudsman, at least 71 children have been murdered and approximately 100 others have been injured since Russia’s full-scale assault began.

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