The Russian government has today imposed a ban on food imports from the European Union, the United States, Australia, Canada and Norway. The embargo, which will last one year, affects various products: beef, pork and poultry, fruit and vegetables, milk and cheese.
This is the first of the counter-sanctions decided by Moscow in response to the punitive measures launched by the West against Russia after the Ukrainian crisis. The announcement came today from Dmitri Medvedev: "The road to sanctions is a dead end - said the Premier -, but Russia was forced to react". According to Medvedev, the embargo period for Western products could be reduced "if the Western partners show a constructive attitude".
The Kremlin's move will do a lot of damage to our country, which last year exported food and drink products to Russia for over one billion euros. According to Coldiretti, Italian exports of Italian agri-food products to Russia, despite international tensions, increased by 1% in the first four months of 2014 and last year they had reached a record figure of 706 million euros.
Meanwhile, as a second sanction, Moscow is evaluating the possibility of banning Western airlines from reaching Asia by flying over Siberia. A decision that in Europe would especially damage Lufthansa, Air France and British Airways. The Russian government has already decided to ban Ukrainian airlines to Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Turkey from flying over its territory.
