REUTERS
Russia's government has extended restrictions on a number of Western countries, as well as Ukraine, until December 31, 2018, according to a relevant resolution published on Russia's governmental website.
"The ban on the import to Russia of certain types of agricultural products, raw materials and foodstuffs, originated from the United States, the European Union, Canada, Australia, the Kingdom of Norway, Ukraine, the Republic of Albania, Montenegro, the Republic of Iceland, and the Principality of Liechtenstein, was extended from January 1 to December 31, 2018," the document said.
The government argues that the restriction extends special economic measures to individual states, taking into account the degree of their involvement in the sanction regime against Russia.
As UNIAN reported earlier, on June 30, Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a decree on prolongation of sanctions against the European Union, which spread to Ukraine with the entry into force of the Ukrainian-EU free trade area.
In the summer of 2014, the European Union, as well as the United States, Canada, Japan and a number of other countries, announced new sanctions against individuals, companies, banks and certain sectors of the Russian economy due to Russia's actions aimed at destabilizing the situation in Ukraine. Their first stage was introduced back in March 2014 after the annexation of Ukraine's Crimea by Russia.
Read alsoUkraine accepts Russia's request for WTO dispute consultationsOn August 7, 2014, the Russian authorities announced a ban on the supplies of a number of foodstuffs from countries that imposed or supported sanctions against the Russian Federation. Among the states that were subjected to Russian sanctions were the United States, the EU, Canada, Australia, Norway, Switzerland, and Japan.
On August 13, 2015, the Russian Federation extended its food embargo to Albania, Montenegro, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and, on special terms, to Ukraine, starting from January 1, 2016.
On June 29, 2016, the Russian president signed a decree extending the food embargo imposed in response to Western sanctions until December 31, 2017, as well as a decree on the destruction of imported to Russia products subjected to embargo.
UNIAN memo. Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimea in March 2014 after its troops had occupied the peninsula. An illegal referendum was held for Crimeans to decide on accession to Russia. De-facto Crimean authorities reported that allegedly 96.77% of the Crimean population had voted for joining Russia. On March 18, 2014, the so-called agreement on the accession of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol to Russia was signed in the Kremlin. The West did not recognize the annexation in response to which sanctions against Russia were introduced.