Russian customs service stops Ukrainian imports

The Russian Customs Service stopped all Ukrainian imports on Tuesday, Ekho Moskvy cites the Federation of Ukrainian Employers as saying.

The Russian authorities refuse to make an official statement concerning the issue.

The move followed the recent decision by Russian officials to ban deliveries of Ukrainian candies produced by the Roshen company. The products allegedly contained dangerous chemicals.

Former Russian finance minister and former deputy head of the Central Bank Sergey Aleksashenko told Ekho Moskvy that the initiative is aimed at pursuing Ukraine to join the Customs Union of Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus instead of entering a free trade area with the European Union.

The move is risky and will not lead to positive changes in bilateral relations, the expert says. According to Aleksashenko, the Ukrainian elite understands perfectly well that European integration is the country's only possible way of development.