Brussels, 24/06/2015 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday 24 June, the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, ordered the extension of the Russian embargo on a majority of EU agri-food products until June 2016.
According to a press release from the Kremlin, Putin affirmed that “we are going to extend our retaliatory measures for a year, beginning today”.
In response to the EU decreed economic sanctions against Russia for its role in the conflict in Ukraine, Moscow introduced an embargo in August 2014, on the majority of food products from EU countries. Given that the EU has extended its economic sanctions against Russia (see EUROPE 11340), the latter has also prolonged its embargo on EU food products.
Russia is currently banning imports of fruit, vegetables, meat, poultry, fish, milk and milk products from the EU (as well as from Norway, the US, Canada and Australia).
On Monday 22 June, Kremlin spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, warned “we have already said on numerous occasions: in sanctions, there is a principle, reciprocity and this is our approach”. (Lionel Changeur).