Russia expands food imports embargo to non-EU states
Russia has added several non-EU European nations to a list of countries from which it has banned food imports in retaliation for Western sanctions over the crisis in Ukraine.
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev announced the decision during a cabinet meeting on Thursday, arguing that the new countries recently joined the European Union's sanctions against Russia.
“From now on, the list – which already includes the EU, Australia, Canada, Norway and the US, and prohibits the supplies of some agricultural products from these countries since last August – has been extended to Albania, Montenegro, Iceland and Liechtenstein and, subject to special conditions, Ukraine,” Medvedev said.
He noted that food import bans on Ukraine will go into effect if the Kiev government endorses the economic chapter of the EU Association Agreement signed in June 2014.
Moscow has been targeted by a series of sanctions slapped by the EU and the US for its alleged support of forces operating in eastern Ukraine.
In late June, the 28-nation European bloc decided to extend bans against Russia until January 31, 2016, and measures against the Black Sea Peninsula of Crimea as well as the port city of Sevastopol until June 23, 2016.
Ukraine, Albania, Montenegro, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Georgia also aligned themselves with the extended anti-Russia sanctions.
The Kremlin, however, rejects accusations of its involvement in the Ukraine crisis as groundless and has enforced restrictions on some Western food imports in a tit-for-tat move.
Russia's food ban, which covers imports such as meat, dairy products, fruit and vegetables, will be in place until August 2016.
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