Putin warns sanctions take toll on Western and poorest countries

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Russian President Vladimir Putin said that “the world is undergoing a transformation, transitioning toward a multipolar order, which becomes the dominating vector of development.”

Putin made his remarks as he greeted new foreign ambassadors who had arrived in Russia.

The president stated that the only countries that oppose this transition are those that want to maintain their hegemony and control over the world.

"As for Russia, we will not deviate from our sovereign course. As a permanent member of the UN Security Council, we intend to further promote a unifying international agenda, contribute to the resolution of numerous challenges and threats of our time, and help with the settlement of acute regional conflicts. This will be Russia's key talking point at the opening of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly," Putin said.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Putin went on to say that the poorest countries were hit the hardest by hegemonic policies and sanctions imposed by Western countries. 

He added that the sanctions imposed by the West on energy, grain, and fertilizer shipments harmed "innocent" developing and poor countries.

"In this light, it's highly cynical of the West to ignore our offer […] to transfer free of charge 300,000 [tons] of Russian fertilizers blocked in European ports due to sanctions to countries in need," the Russian President added.

This comes a few days after UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that the world will be at risk of food shortages next year if the destabilized fertilizer market issue is not resolved soon.

During a briefing, Guterres said, "In 2022 we have no lack of food, we have a problem of distribution”, adding, "If we don't normalize the fertilizer market, we will have a problem of food in 2023."

Moreover, he added that the United Nations is considering expanding the grain agreement to include ammonia exports.

Russia alone in 2021 was the leading exporter of nitrogen fertilizers, the second major supplier of potassium fertilizers, and the third-largest supplier of phosphorous fertilizers. 

Western sanctions on Moscow imposed over the war in Ukraine have undermined Russia's sales of agricultural products around the globe, which prompted the Kremlin to suspend the export of fertilizers.

Sanctions fired back at the West, surging food prices in March to their highest levels ever, while the International Monetary Fund warned in April that global food prices will likely rise further in the future due to the war, the sanctions on Russia and Belarus, and climate issues ravaging the planet.

The US and its allies have rolled out comprehensive sanctions on Russia over the Ukraine war, including restrictions on the Russian central bank, export control measures, SWIFT cutoff for select banks, and closure of airspace to all Russian flights. Many of their companies have suspended their Russian operations, and the sanctions even affected agriculture and foodstuffs.