03:39President Vladimir Putin said that the whole of Russia was focused on those living in the regions holding votes on joining the federation, while speaking at a meeting in Sochi on Tuesday.
"Amid the special military operation and the referenda in Donbass, saving people in all the territories, precisely saving people in all the territories where this referendum is held is the focus of attention of our society, of the whole country," he said.
The local governments of the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics (DPR and LPR), as well as those established in Kherson and Zaporozhye after the regions came under Russian control, announced last week that voting would take place from September 23-27.
Putin said on Wednesday that he was ready to support the decisions taken, with his country prepared 'to provide the safe environment' and let the people 'express their will'.
Ukraine and its Western allies have described the voting as a 'sham'. On Friday, Mykhailo Podolya, advisor to the head of the Ukrainian President’s Office, described the exercise as a 'propaganda show'.
Meanwhile, in Sochi, Putin also claimed that grain from Ukraine was still not reaching the world's poorest countries, despite repeatedly drawing attention to the issue.
"As of September 23, only four of the 203 ships that left Ukrainian ports left for the poorest countries as part of the United Nations programme. And 14 of the 46 ships that left from Monday till Friday last week, have Turkey as the destination country, the intermediary country, and of the remaining 32 ships, 25 were sent to the European Union," he said.
"Are they the poorest countries or something? The situation is not changing here. It's embarrassing to say, but it's a total fraud," he continued.
Earlier in September, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed similar allegations as 'blatantly false'.
"By the end of this month, at least three million tonnes of agricultural products can be exported from our seaports. And a significant part is for the poorest and most needy countries," he said.
Representatives of Russia, Ukraine, Turkey and the UN signed two agreements in Istanbul on Friday, 22 July, to unblock sea shipments of Ukrainian grain and allow exports of Russian agricultural products.
Russia: Saving people is focus for our society, amid 'special military operation' and referenda - Putin
President Vladimir Putin said that the whole of Russia was focused on those living in the regions holding votes on joining the federation, while speaking at a meeting in Sochi on Tuesday.
"Amid the special military operation and the referenda in Donbass, saving people in all the territories, precisely saving people in all the territories where this referendum is held is the focus of attention of our society, of the whole country," he said.
The local governments of the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics (DPR and LPR), as well as those established in Kherson and Zaporozhye after the regions came under Russian control, announced last week that voting would take place from September 23-27.
Putin said on Wednesday that he was ready to support the decisions taken, with his country prepared 'to provide the safe environment' and let the people 'express their will'.
Ukraine and its Western allies have described the voting as a 'sham'. On Friday, Mykhailo Podolya, advisor to the head of the Ukrainian President’s Office, described the exercise as a 'propaganda show'.
Meanwhile, in Sochi, Putin also claimed that grain from Ukraine was still not reaching the world's poorest countries, despite repeatedly drawing attention to the issue.
"As of September 23, only four of the 203 ships that left Ukrainian ports left for the poorest countries as part of the United Nations programme. And 14 of the 46 ships that left from Monday till Friday last week, have Turkey as the destination country, the intermediary country, and of the remaining 32 ships, 25 were sent to the European Union," he said.
"Are they the poorest countries or something? The situation is not changing here. It's embarrassing to say, but it's a total fraud," he continued.
Earlier in September, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed similar allegations as 'blatantly false'.
"By the end of this month, at least three million tonnes of agricultural products can be exported from our seaports. And a significant part is for the poorest and most needy countries," he said.
Representatives of Russia, Ukraine, Turkey and the UN signed two agreements in Istanbul on Friday, 22 July, to unblock sea shipments of Ukrainian grain and allow exports of Russian agricultural products.
President Vladimir Putin said that the whole of Russia was focused on those living in the regions holding votes on joining the federation, while speaking at a meeting in Sochi on Tuesday.
"Amid the special military operation and the referenda in Donbass, saving people in all the territories, precisely saving people in all the territories where this referendum is held is the focus of attention of our society, of the whole country," he said.
The local governments of the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics (DPR and LPR), as well as those established in Kherson and Zaporozhye after the regions came under Russian control, announced last week that voting would take place from September 23-27.
Putin said on Wednesday that he was ready to support the decisions taken, with his country prepared 'to provide the safe environment' and let the people 'express their will'.
Ukraine and its Western allies have described the voting as a 'sham'. On Friday, Mykhailo Podolya, advisor to the head of the Ukrainian President’s Office, described the exercise as a 'propaganda show'.
Meanwhile, in Sochi, Putin also claimed that grain from Ukraine was still not reaching the world's poorest countries, despite repeatedly drawing attention to the issue.
"As of September 23, only four of the 203 ships that left Ukrainian ports left for the poorest countries as part of the United Nations programme. And 14 of the 46 ships that left from Monday till Friday last week, have Turkey as the destination country, the intermediary country, and of the remaining 32 ships, 25 were sent to the European Union," he said.
"Are they the poorest countries or something? The situation is not changing here. It's embarrassing to say, but it's a total fraud," he continued.
Earlier in September, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed similar allegations as 'blatantly false'.
"By the end of this month, at least three million tonnes of agricultural products can be exported from our seaports. And a significant part is for the poorest and most needy countries," he said.
Representatives of Russia, Ukraine, Turkey and the UN signed two agreements in Istanbul on Friday, 22 July, to unblock sea shipments of Ukrainian grain and allow exports of Russian agricultural products.