Russian President Vladimir Putin highlighted the challenges faced by Western countries, particularly the European Union, due to low harvest rates caused by adverse weather conditions, including drought. He pointed out that the situation has led to the need for more Russian fertilizers to increase crop yields, a situation that was unforeseen by the Western analysts' predictions of depression and consumer sector failure in Russia. Putin quipped that the Western countries' citizens might end up in Russia in search of turnips, as Russia's harvest levels exceed those of its European neighbors.