RUSSIA cut off gas supplies to Denmark today, following its decision to do so to Finland, Poland, Bulgaria and the Netherlands.

The step heightens the economic war being waged between Moscow and the West following heavy sanctions imposed after the Russian invasion of Ukraine and, along with growing disruption to global food supplies, is likely to exacerbate a cost-of-living crisis for ordinary people across large parts of the world.

Since US and EU sanctions make it hard for Russia to access reserves held in foreign currencies, it has demanded customers for its oil and gas pay in roubles and started cutting off supply when they refuse.

On Tuesday EU chiefs agreed to cut around 90 per cent of Russian oil imports within six months, but Italian oil imports have actually risen since the war started and there are deep divisions over restrictions on natural gas imports on which much of European industry and heating depends.

The EU and Russia continued to blame each other for disruption to Ukrainian food exports, with Moscow denying it was preventing shipping out of Ukraine and claiming Ukraine’s mining of the Black Sea was the cause of the crisis.

Sanctions have also driven prices for potash, a key fertiliser, through the roof, with Brazil reporting a 185 per cent price rise per tonne and the EU a 240 per cent rise, since most potash comes from Russia and its also-sanctioned ally Belarus. This is likely to have a knock-on effect on food prices.

Malaysia banned chicken exports today as feed price rises hit supply, one of many countries to move to secure domestic supplies as food runs short.