Putin blamed the US and the European Union for global inflation

“What is happening now is not the result of the past few months, and certainly not the result of a special military operation by Russia in Donbass,” Putin told the St. Petersburg Economic Forum on Friday. The reason for the rise in prices is the “systematic errors in current US economic policy.”Government And the European bureaucracy.

The military operation in Ukraine provided only one excuse for the West. “This allows Russia to blame others for their own miscalculations, in this case Russia,” Putin said in a televised address at the event.

The United States and European countries are currently experiencing high inflation due to rising fuel prices. Gas prices continued to rise on Friday as part of a decision by Russian energy companies CospromWe need to reduce supplies to Europe. Cosprom Gave the reason for the necessary repair work.

Rising energy prices have been “noticeable since the third quarter (last year) long before we began operations in Donbass,” Putin said. This growth is the result of Europe’s “failed energy policy.”

Exports of grain and other goods from Russia and Ukraine have also been hampered by fighting in Ukraine and unprecedented sanctions imposed by the West on Moscow, which has led to rising food prices. However, Russia has not stopped ships loaded with grain from leaving Ukrainian ports, Putin said. On the contrary, Ukraine is responsible for cutting off ports.

He also said that grain exports from Ukraine were not so important. Shortages of food and fertilizer are mainly caused by sanctions. The governments of the United States and Europe have famine-stricken countries “based on their conscience.”