SAMARKAND, September 16. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin called the decision of the European Union to lift the ban on the export of fertilizers from Russia only to European countries, but not to the poorest countries, disgusting.
"The same applies to the export of our fertilizers. This is generally unprecedented, this is a disgusting decision, I would say, on the part of the European Commission, shameful - to lift the ban on the purchase of our fertilizers, but only for their own countries, for the EU member states," he told reporters.
He pointed out that Europe itself has created problems in the food markets, and now is trying to solve them at the expense of others.
"But what about the poorest countries, what about the rhetoric that all our joint efforts should be aimed at preventing hunger in these poorest countries? <...> They created problems, now they are being solved at he expense of others. It's just disgraceful," the Russian President stated.
"You must have heard: 300,000 tonnes of our fertilizers have accumulated in the ports of European countries. Our companies are already saying: "We will give it away for free, just release it, unlock it! Let's give it to the poorest countries, to developing markets!" They are still holding it," Putin said.
"I have the impression - especially for European countries - these are former colonial powers. But they still live in the paradigm of colonial philosophy, they are used to living at someone else's expense and still cannot get rid of this paradigm in their politics," the head of the Russian state said.