KEY POINTS
- Russian food inflation remains rampant, with butter prices rising 30% since December last year. Sunflower oil and vegetables are among the other items seeing ongoing price rises.
- Russia’s central bank last month hiked interest rates to 21% — their highest level in over 20 years — but the high rates have shown few signs of dampening inflation so far.
- Russian President Vladimir Putin has denied that Russia has exchanged “butter for guns,” as the country’s leadership has deflected blame for price rises onto “unfriendly” countries.
Ah yes, the three classic Russian contemporary suicide methods: falling from a high-rise window, five point-blank shots to the back of the head, and poisoned tea.