Putin talk say Russia no go need choose between gun and butte-di price of butter dey rise.

Putin don dey promise say him country fit focus on both gun and butter as dem dey fight for Ukraine.

But na butter wey don dey give Russia wahala, wit 25.7% price increase dis year.

Di cost wey dey rise dey make pipo dey fear say inflation go come back for Russia as sanctions and war production dey happen.

One year into him war for Ukraine, Russian leader Vladimir Putin tell him country say di new focus on weapon production no go spoil di economy.

Dire be one popular saying: gun instead of butter, Putin talk last February.

Di country defense na, of course, di most important priority, but as we dey solve strategic tasks for dis area.

We no go fit repeat di mistakes of di past, we no go fit destroy our own economy, e talk, as e dey mention di way wheat production dey grow at dat time.

For May, Putin once again orda him government make dem continue to aim for dat goal, tell officials make dem focus on both guns and butter e reject di saying wey talk say countries gatz choose between military and civilian spending.

But as di war dey continue, di last few months don dey especially hard for Russian consumers.

Inflation rates for August and September don climb to dem highest since early 2023, wen Putin first make him speech wey dey support di civilian economy.

By di end of October, di price of butter for Russia don rise 25.7% compared to December 2023, according to government statistics.

No be all grocery or dairy prices dey rise for dis kind rate. Di next-biggest increase na lamb, wey rise 21.48%, while milk rise 12.75% for di same period.

Armageddon wit butter 

Still, di overall trend don raise fear say Russia fit go back to di surging inflation rates wey happen for 2022 or di possibility of recession.

Wetin dey especially frightening na di fact say di acceleration dey come wit unanimous increase for all di items wey dey inside di basket.

From di 107 items wey dey inside di weekly basket, 84 don increase for price, economists write for di MMI Telegram channel, wey be Russian group wey dey provide analysis on inflation.

As government statistics show say butter dey rise by up to 1.9% weekly for late October, di same channel don warn say.

“Armageddon wit butter” and talk say Russia fit see di repeat of di 40% egg price surge wey happen from November 2023.”

Di soaring prices don make national headlines earlier dis month wen Russian media report series of butter-related supermarket.

Di independent outlet Meduza report say one robbery for Moscow involve 25 packs of butter wey two men steal.

Even state media don talk about di mata, as government run Rossiyskaya Gazeta write say some stores dey put butter for protective boxes.

Federal officials don meet wit dairy producers to try control di cost wey dey increase, but di local union statement for late October just promise say dem go dey monitor prices every week.

Why butter price dey rise

One week before dat meeting, di same union talk say di country no dey experience butter shortage.

But dem add say about 25% of local butter wey pipo dey consume na from foreign suppliers.

Plenty of di imports before dey come from countries for Latin America, but dem reduce dem butter shipment from 25,000 tons to 2,800 tons every year because of Western sanctions wey dem put on Moscow.

Anoda major dairy supplier wey dey follow wartime sanctions, New Zealand, dey sell $88.8 million worth of butter to Russia every year before di invasion start.

To fill di butter gap, Moscow don dey turn to friendlier countries like Turkey and di United Arab Emirates, wey before dey supply only about 90 tons every year to Russia.

Di price wahala dey continue as Russia dey push im economy more into weapons manufacturing to maintain di invasion of Ukraine, wey don turn into serious war of attrition for manpower and equipment.

Russia dey expect to spend $140 billion for im defense industry for 2024, up to $145 billion for 2025, or 6.3% of im GDP.

Dis fit mean more bad news for Russian consumers, as economists dey expect more tax increase beyond di reforms wey dem don announce for 2025 to fit follow military spending.

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