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In reply to the discussion: Should the United States be supporting the new government of Ukraine? [View all]okaawhatever
(9,560 posts)KIEV, Ukraine From the Baltic to the Black Sea, a chocolate wall has descended across the continent of Europe.
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Russia Putting a Strong Arm on Neighbors (October 23, 2013)
The New York Times
The output of the sprawling brick factory, formerly known as the Karl Marx chocolate works, has never before been so hard to sell in Russia. Since July, when Russian regulators banned all chocolate, cake, cookie and candy imports from its Ukrainian parent company, Roshen, ostensibly over health concerns, production at the plant here has plummeted 14 percent.
SNIP
Its not pleasant at all to be in this situation, Viacheslav Moskalevskyi, the president of Roshen, Ukraines largest confectionery company, said in an interview.
Ukraine and Moldova must decide by a Nov. 28-29 summit meeting in Vilnius, Lithuania, whether to sign the Association Agreement.
And Russia is willing to play rough to ensure that does not happen. Russia banned wine from Moldova. This fall, after Russia banned milk imports from Lithuania as part of a struggle for economic influence, yogurt and kefir piled up at checkpoints. Lithuania is already in the European Union, but the Kremlin restricted dairy imports anyway, apparently in anger that the former client state was being a strong advocate of bringing in the other former Soviet states.
When Lithuanian authorities said they might complain to the World Trade Organization, Russias former chief sanitary inspector, Gennady Onischenko, replied that if that happened, the restrictions would remain in place for an incredibly long time. Members of the European Parliament expressed their solidarity with Lithuania by eating a type of Lithuanian sweetened cottage cheese dessert in front of photographers, but the economic dividing line in Europe is hardening.
And all of Ukraine is stuck in the same sticky box. Moodys, the bond rating agency, downgraded Ukraines sovereign debt rating last month, in part over concerns the country will not obtain a gas price discount from Russia while this trade war persists. Ukraines economy contracted in the first half of 2013.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/30/business/international/ukrainian-chocolates-caught-in-trade-war-between-europe-and-russia.html
The day after the Ukraine President announced rejecting the EU deal and was signing w/Russia this ban was lifted.
Russia bans two Ukraine meat firms, as meat war threatens
By Vladislav Vorotnikov, 14-Nov-2013
Russian veterinary service Rosselkhoznadzor has banned meat imports from two Ukrainian companies in the first step of a possible meat war that could seriously damage the Ukrainian industry.
http://www.globalmeatnews.com/Industry-Markets/Russia-bans-two-Ukraine-meat-firms-as-meat-war-threatens
These are just a couple of instances. Russia has been using imports bans as a political tool for some time. Notice the ramp up in bans that preceeded the President's decision to not pursue EU membership.
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