The White House blamed food shortages across the country on Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, accusing him of “weaponizing food.”
“President Putin is, no kidding, weaponizing food,” said White House National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications John Kirby on Tuesday. “Let’s just call it what it is, he’s weaponizing food.”
Kirby appeared at the White House daily briefing to discuss the president’s foreign policy agenda, including his efforts to get grain out of Ukraine and into global markets.
Thousand of tons of grain are currently stuck in Ukraine as Russia has blockaded the Black Sea port from Ukrainian producers.
He indicated that Biden would discuss “supply chain issues” and “food and fuel supply around the world” with international leaders at the G-7 summit next week.
“Multilateral leadership matters a lot because this isn’t affecting just the United States,” he said.
Kirby stated that Putin needed to be held accountable for invading Ukraine.
“He also believes and stands strongly on the principle that Mr. Putin needs to suffer consequences for this war of aggression,” he said.
The White House and President Joe Biden continue to blame Putin for the high costs of food and gas in the United States, referring to it as “Putin’s price hike.”
But only 11 percent of the public in a recent Rasmussen poll believe that Putin is responsible for high energy prices.
Fifty-two percent blame Biden’s own anti-oil energy policies for the high prices, as he articulated during his presidential campaign.
