Putin promised to supply enough gas to customers and exchange prisoners with Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin – Photo: REUTERS

According to information from the Kremlin, Putin stressed that efforts to hold Russia accountable for the blockage of the global food supply are baseless.

Instead, Putin blamed Western sanctions.

During the 45-minute phone call, the Russian president also urged Ukraine to carry out demining and demining at ports “as soon as possible” to allow grain ships to pass through.

Putin also accused Kiev of “sabotaging” negotiations with Moscow.

The war in Ukraine and Western sanctions have disrupted supplies of fertilizer, wheat and other commodities from the two countries, raising concerns about the risk of hunger worldwide.

According to AFP news agency, Russia and Ukraine provide 30% of the global wheat supply.

Earlier, in a phone call with Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi on May 26, Putin said that Moscow was ready to make a “significant” contribution to averting the food crisis if the West lifted sanctions.

Putin also pointed out that Russia has opened “humanitarian corridors for civilian ships to exit the ports of Azov and the Black Sea”.

Returning to a phone call with Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer, Putin said he would meet his commitment to supply natural gas and was ready to discuss a prisoner exchange with Ukraine.

“Putin raised the issue and said that all deliveries would be made,” Austrian Prime Minister Nehammer was quoted as saying by Reuters news agency.

The Kremlin also reaffirmed its commitment to comply with its contractual obligations to supply natural gas to Austria, which receives 80% of its gas from Russia.

In April, Austrian Prime Minister Nehammer visited Russia and held talks with Putin. Nehammer is the first European leader to meet Putin since the start of a military operation in Ukraine on February 24, according to AFP news agency.

After that conversation, Mr. Nehammer said he was “quite pessimistic” about the opportunities for negotiations.