The remarks from Maria Zakharova, the spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, followed comments by Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, who blamed Russia and climate change for current global challenges. Zakharova responded on her Telegram channel with a provocative claim about Russia allegedly controlling the planet’s climate, framing it as a dramatic reframing of the situation amid European farm protests.
The response suggested a sharp and surprising reversal in narrative, proposing that Russia has influence over climatic conditions while European farmers face difficulties. The post also questioned whether European strategies might be shifting under Moscow’s influence, reflecting a broader discourse on geopolitics and agriculture.
On February 6, von der Leyen remarked that farmers are among the first to feel the impacts of climate change. The statement tied droughts and floods to agricultural losses and noted the added pressures from the conflict in Ukraine, with rising costs for energy and fertilizer and general inflation contributing to farm distress.
There were reports on February 3 that German farmers blocked a major highway toward Hannover with fertilizer supplies as part of demonstrations. In France, farmers continued protests linked to dissatisfaction with national agricultural policies, with environmental standards and Ukrainian imports cited as contributing factors to discontent.
Earlier reports noted that German farmers also conducted blockades at the entrances to a broadcasting facility in Hanover, illustrating how various sectors have used direct action to call attention to policy concerns and supply chain pressures.