Putin blames West for food, energy crises

Russian President Vladimir President blamed the West on Friday for emerging global food and energy crises and repeated his government's offers of safe passage for ships exporting grain from Ukraine if mines are removed from the waters.

He also said Western sanctions against Russia would only worsen world markets – reducing the harvest and driving up prices.

Putin pledged that if the waters were demined, Russia wouldn’t attack grain shipments and suggested they could be made from the Ukrainian port of Berdyansk or other countries, such as Belarus.