(Finance) – Sanctions on Russia could lead to a further increase in global food prices. The Russian President said so Vladimir Putin speaking in a meeting with some members of his government, quoted by Tass.
“There Russia and Belarus – stressed the Kremlin leader – are among the largest suppliers of mineral fertilizers in world markets. If they continue to create problems with financing, insurance, logistics, the delivery of our products, then the prices, which are already exorbitant, will rise again “. Putin he therefore defined the sanctions imposed by the West against Russia are not legitimate which – he stressed – is fulfilling all its commitments relating to energy exports, including those via Ukraine, asking therefore the West not to blame Moscow for rising energy prices.
In a phone call between Olaf Scholz, Emmanuel Macron and Vladimir Putin, “Germany and France have asked for an immediate truce”. This is what is learned from German government sources. “Scholz and Macron insisted that the solution to this crisis must come from the negotiations between Ukraine and Russia”. The three leaders also agreed to hear from each other again in the coming days. And Macron from Versailles, where the meeting between the heads of state and government of the European Union is underway, specifies: “With Chancellor Scholz we spoke again today with Putin to obtain a ceasefire” in Ukraine “and a conflict that could be political. I tell the French, I’m worried, pessimistic, I don’t see a ceasefire in the next few days “ said the French president as he entered the palace of Versailles for the summit with EU leaders. “In the short term I do not see diplomatic solutions – he added – but I hope so and we will continue to insist, to push the Russians towards a compromise, to help. But we cannot decide it for the parties involved”.
Today and tomorrow, therefore, the summit of EU heads of state and government under the French presidency in Versailles. European Union leaders should send to Ukraine, but also to Georgia and Moldova, “a political signal sulla their belonging to the European family “, even without being able to launch into an accelerated accession procedure.
According to Elysée sources, after the EU launched the procedure for examining membership applications on Monday, France believes that the three candidates must “invent new ways of getting closer to the EU”. In particular, “a strengthening of cooperation in the economic, education and research sectors, as well as in political cooperation”.
The heads of state of the three candidate countries could – according to rumors circulating in Versailles – “be associated with the meetings of the European Council on a more regular basis”. But, according to the Elysée, “membership will not end the war”.
Before the summit, Premier Draghi made it known that he had had a “long meeting with Macron. Italy and France are aligned with the EU”