MOSCOW, December 19. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin is pleased that in recent years Russia has evolved from a major buyer of grain to a major exporter.
"The Soviet Union has always been a buyer of grain, we were one of the largest buyers of grain and wheat. I would like to remind you that now Russia is the largest supplier of wheat to the world market, the number one," Putin said at his traditional annual news conference on Thursday.
At the same time, Putin said that there is a need to get rid of politically motivated economic restrictions. "Certainly, it is better to get rid of politically motivated restrictions in the economic activity sphere. This inflicts huge damage to global trade and global economy," he stated.
"Say, the United States impose restrictions against China — these are actually sanctions — this affects the whole global economy. The world’s trade level dropped immediately. If [the policy of sanctions — TASS] continues, it will drop further on," the Russian leader said.
Russia also suffers from problems in relations with other countries, Putin said. "This is because it affects us, the demand for our key export goods," he added.