KIEV: The decree published on Ukraine’s government website on Saturday said that the imports from Russia would be banned as of January 10. The sanctions include meat, fish, and dairy products as well as vegetables and fruit. A similar Russian ban came into effect on New Year’s Day.
The tit-for-tat move came after Ukraine decided to implement a free trade pact with the EU despite Russian opposition. Russian officials said, however, that the ban on Ukrainian food imports were only necessary to protect its internal market, claiming that European products could reach Russia by way of Ukraine without paying import duty.