Vladimir Putin has said he wants to revise a fragile international agreement to allow the export of Ukrainian grain in a move that could threaten the deal and revive fears of a renewed Russian naval blockade in the Black Sea.
During a bellicose speech at an economic conference in Vladivostok, Putin said he would speak with the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, about “limiting the destinations for grain exports”, issuing a false claim that only two of 87 ships leaving Ukraine with grain had gone to developing countries.
The divisive statements came during a speech in which Putin also threatened to cut off all deliveries of gas, oil, and coal to Europe if they imposed a price cap on Russian energy imports. Recalling a Russian fairytale, he said that Europeans could “freeze like the wolf’s tail”.
The speech, nominally dedicated to the economy and trade, was one of the Russian leader’s most belligerent and defiant since the beginning of the Ukraine war. At one point, Putin declared that Russia had “lost nothing” in launching a war that has killed tens of thousands of people, including thousands of its own soldiers.
“We haven’t lost anything and we won’t lose anything,” said Putin, when asked about the cost of the invasion, which began more than six months ago. “The main gain is the strengthening of our sovereignty. » | Andrew Roth in Moscow | Wednesday, September 7, 2022
