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.
“Of course, a certain polarisation is taking place,” he continued, in a nod to Russia’s isolation, “both in the world and within the country, but I believe that this will only be beneficial.
“No matter how much someone would like to isolate Russia, it is impossible to do this,” he added, claiming that Russia would pivot toward Asia as its ties were cut with Europe.
The remarks were made at the Russian Eastern Economic Forum, an economic showcase that was a diminished affair this year. Only Myanmar and Armenia sent top politicians to attend the event.
But what it was lacking in grandeur, Putin made up for in bluster, rehashing old tropes about the end of US hegemony and the importance of sovereignty even after he sent troops to Ukraine to occupy territory and unseat the government of Volodymyr Zelenskiy. As in the past, he said Russia was willing to continue the war “until the end”.
The speech came as Putin’s bloody military offensive has stalled in Ukraine and he remains deadlocked with Europe in an energy war that could further impoverish Russia and leave millions abroad in the cold.
In his speech, he portrayed Russia as the victim, saying that western sanctions had “replaced the pandemic” as a threat to the world order. “I am speaking of the west’s sanctions fever, with its brazen, aggressive attempt to impose models of behaviour on other countries, to deprive them of their sovereignty and subordinate them to their will,” he said.
On the threat to stop delivering oil and gas, Putin said: “Will there be any political decisions that contradict the contracts? Yes, we just won’t fulfil them. We will not supply anything at all if it contradicts our interests,” he said, according to a Reuters translation of his remarks. “We will not supply gas, oil, coal, heating oil – we will not supply anything.”
Putin claimed that grain leaving Ukraine was being exported not to poor countries, but instead to the EU. He claimed that only two ships out of 87 had gone to developing countries. Data from the UN showed that Putin’s claim was false by a factor of at least 10.
Nonetheless, Putin said he would consider renegotiating the deal with Erdoğan, potentially putting the agreement at risk. “We should probably think about limiting the destinations for grain exports, and I’m going to discuss that with Mr Erdoğan, president of Turkey, because it was he and I who came up with this plan,” Putin said.
In the speech, Putin also spoke in support of the severe 22-year prison sentence handed down to the former journalist Ivan Safronov, who was convicted on treason charges in a court case tried on secret evidence.
Asked about the hundreds of journalists forced to flee the country due to draconian new laws against criticising the war and freedom of speech, Putin indicated that they were traitors.
“I assure you, they are happy they’re able to leave,” he said of the journalists. “They’ve always worked against our country, but now under the guise of some kinds of threats here, they happily moved away for the same salaries they earned here.”
Many of the journalists voiced their disgust over the remarks. “Yep, being placed on the wanted list is what I’ve always dreamed of,” wrote Andrei Soldatov, a Russian investigative journalist who has been living abroad since the start of the war.