EU buying more Russian goods despite sanctions – Putin

EU countries have been ramping up imports of Russian goods this year despite the numerous rounds of sanctions the bloc has introduced against Moscow, President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday.

During his meeting with the Council for Strategic Development and National Projects, Putin argued that the EU continues to consume Russian goods, but holds back on supplying its own products to Russia. According to the president, this situation “cannot continue indefinitely” so Russia will be looking for new partners.

“It’s interesting to observe that, despite the sanctions, over the first nine months of this year, deliveries of basic goods to the EU increased by 1.5 times. As a whole, exports increased by 42%, while the trade surplus was up 2.3 times, to $138 billion,” Putin said.

The Russian leader also detailed the country’s overall grain exports, predicting they will amount to about 50 million tons in 2022. Russia plans to supply another 4-5 million tons of grain by the end of the year, he said, noting that exports of mineral fertilizers have already exceeded 25 million tons.

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