A former German ambassador to Russia said that Putin was trying to cause a famine and refugee crisis.
Von Fritsch told a German outlet that Putin wants to cause a famine in the Middle East and Africa so that refugees will migrate to Europe.
After grain supplies collapse, starving people from these regions will flee and try to come to Europe, like previously the millions of Syrians fleeing the horrors of war, he said.
His comments come as food security experts warn that Russia's invasion of Ukraine has worsened a global food supply crisis. The world only has 10 weeks of wheat left in storage, according to an expert.
The world's breadbasket is Ukraine. Russia and Ukraine export about a third of the world's wheat, with many regions depending on those exports.
Von Fritsch said that if Putin stopped grain exports out of Ukraine, there would be a famine that would put pressure on European countries to rethink their sanctions against Russia.
He wants to cause a domino effect by destabilizing Europe with new flows of refugees so that Western states give up their tough stance toward Russia.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has previously accused Russia of using food as a weapon, and said Russia was holding food for millions across the globe.
The Russian government seems to think that using food as a weapon will break the spirit of the Ukrainian people, according to Tony Blinken.
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