Russia threatens Ukraine with import ban

MOSCOW, Apr 24 (PRIME) -- Moscow has warned Kiev that it might impose a ban on Ukrainian goods, like it has done with the European Union’s imports, the Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Oversight said in a statement Friday following negotiations between Russia, Ukraine and the E.U. on Kiev’s association deal with Brussels earlier this week.

“During the talks, the Ukrainian side was warned about the possibility of imposing access rules similar to the ones used for the E.U. goods on the country’s exports,” the service said.

“In the sphere of sanitary and phytosanitary measures the agreement’s implementation is going in the most intensive way, and this is why previously stated risks, which threaten Russian consumers and worsen lives of exporters, are only growing.”

In 2014, Ukraine ratified the economic part of the association agreement with the E.U. which implies introduction of a free-trade zone with the E.U. from late 2015. New concerns have emerged for Russia recently as Kiev had already started adopting the new norms that can harm trade with Russia.

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