Ukraine's Escalating Trade Tensions with Russia

Ukraine's effort to balance relations with Russia and the European Union is facing a mounting challenge due to escalating trade frictions with Moscow. According to an Aug. 14 statement from the press service of the Federation of Employers of Ukraine, the Russian Customs Service has put all Ukrainian importers on its list of high-risk importers, and Ukrainian exports to Russia have been halted indefinitely. The suspension has not been confirmed by Russia or Ukraine, but Moscow did announce stricter customs controls on nearly 50 Ukrainian companies at the end of July, and Russia banned all imports from Ukrainian candy maker Roshen. With Ukraine negotiating a free trade agreement with the European Union that Russia has vocally opposed, Moscow's tightened import restrictions can be seen as a retaliatory move meant to disrupt the trade discussions and discourage Kiev from expanding cooperation with Brussels.