A Kremlin-friendly news outlet describes Russia and Belarus as the world’s “largest suppliers of food and fertilisers”.
It adds that, as the two countries are hampered by economic sanctions imposed by Western powers, Brits and others are starving.
The article was posted on Tsargrad TV, owned by Vladimir Putin-supporting businessman Konstantin Malofeev.
It shows two cavemen standing next to Union Jack bunting and is titled: “Cold, Hunger, Cannibalism: London fell into its own Ukrainian pit.”
It states: “Things are not going well in the UK.
"While politicians are playing into the Ukrainian crisis, their own population is preparing for starvation.
"Europe is seeing an explosion in prices, and politicians are talking about the threat of mass starvation.
"In some cities of Britain, a state of emergency is introduced due to food shortages."
The piece, published on Monday, quotes a Sunday Times column by Jeremy Clarkson in which the TV presenter jokes it is only a matter of time before "people eat their neighbours".
Using the article as its source, the Russian propaganda channel said "journalists begin to say terrible things aloud, reminding them of the risk of cannibalism".
It claims the sanctions imposed on Russia by the West "destroyed supply chains" to its own people.
Clarkson's tongue-in-cheek piece, taken wildly out of context, was intended to be funny.
He wrote on May 15: "Politicians say they are 'monitoring the situation', which means they aren’t doing anything at all, but one day they will have to because while people can live without heat or clothing or even sex, they cannot live without food.
"Hunger makes people eat their neighbours."
He added: "Which is exactly what Putin wants. "Sure, the war in Ukraine may result in him gaining only a tiny bit of land in the east of the country, but beyond that it could well destabilise Europe for years."
Russia's President Vladimir Putin
REUTERS
The article quoted a column written by Jeremy Clarkson
PA
