Russia to ban Ukrainian food imports from January

Russia closing borders to UkraineOn 18 November, the Russian Minister of Economic Affairs, Alexey Ulyukayev, announced that the border between Russia and Ukraine would close from January onwards to all food shipments.

He included that Moscow would present the boycott against Ukraine as a retaliatory step in light of the fact that Kiev joined the West in slapping approvals against Russian Federation.

Let them see for themselves how to act.

Later that month, Ukraine expanded a list of sanctions against 90 Russian companies and 400 individuals.

The proposal was an easing of Moscow’s previous demand that Ukraine repay the loan in full by the end of this year.

“We stand side-by-side with French people, the President of France and the French Government in the fight against terrorism”, Poroshenko said.

“This will need to be reflected in the upcoming review of our sanctions, ” he said.

Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics said in a telephone interview Wednesday there was no discussion at Monday’s European Union foreign ministers meeting in Brussels about re-examining the sanctions to encourage Moscow to cooperate on Syria. “There is a general feeling right now that the sanctions should be rolled over”, he said.

In the letter, written after a G20 summit in Turkey and seen by Reuters, Juncker underlined the importance he attached to good relations between the European Union and Moscow, “which to my regret have not been able to develop over the past year”.

“And our agreement is that in such case we will extend sanctions”, he told Reuters.

David Lipton, first deputy managing director and acting chair of the IMF’s executive board, said “notwithstanding a strong policy-led adjustment effort” and the strong resolve of Ukraine’s authorities, the economy continues to suffer. “If certain decision are not made until January 1, one of these decision will come into force automatically”, he said.

The increasingly fractious parliament also has threatened to undo measures that are key to its $40 billion bailout package from the International Monetary Fund. Many countries spent decades of the 20th century under Russia’s de facto control, and the Kremlin’s destabilization of a former Soviet state has brought back bad memories.

Andrey Ostroukh in Moscow contributed to this article.