Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine is having a growing effect on its own stability at home. A worsening food crisis has forced President Vladimir Putin to make an unusual request to his closest ally, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, asking for potato imports. This urgent plea has also caused a delay in the delivery of the much-talked-about Oreshnik missiles.
The food crisis in Russia has become very serious, with Express reporting major shortages of basic foods, including potatoes, which are a key part of the Russian diet. The Kremlin admitting that the country does not have enough potatoes shows how bad the economic problems have gotten because of the war and the tough sanctions placed on Russia by Western countries. This shortage is not just a small inconvenience; it is a real danger to social stability in Russia, especially for poorer people. The Kremlin has tried to make the situation seem less serious, but this has not worked, as rising prices and empty store shelves make the crisis obvious.
