From a Samizdata comment comes this link: Russia hits West with food import ban in sanctions row.
President Vladimir Putin announced on Wednesday that Russia would retaliate against Western sanctions. The embargo will last for a year and takes effect immediately.
Mr Medvedev ordered the agriculture ministry and producer organisations to find ways to boost Russian farm output in order to prevent price rises for consumers.
Western exports of baby food to Russia are not on the sanctions list. Western pet food is not banned either, and Russians are not barred from buying Western food abroad, within customs limits.
The Russian authorities say they are confident the supermarket shelves will not be left empty – they are searching for alternative suppliers in South America, Turkey and China.
But filling the gap will not be easy, the BBC’s Steve Rosenberg reports from Moscow. It is estimated that in big cities, like Moscow, more than 60% of food in the shops is imported.
The food ministry is going to increase production? Sounds like a throwback to the Soviet days.
Image from Twitter.
Comments
3 responses to “Russia Bans Western Food Imports”
The US/EU are playing patty cakes, but Russia is playing for keeps. Eventually the West will back down because Russia is willing to do anything to win in the Ukraine up to and including nuclear war. The West should cut its losses now before it gets real ugly.
could you please provide a summary of the Benghazi report? thanks
Several things may be driving this:
– The war with Ukraine may be causing a money crunch – just don’t have the money to spend, but don’t want to admit that Russian economy/spending is the problem. Solution – blame the USA – consumers will not take their ire out on the government.
– They’re gambling that they will be able to take over Ukraine, with the food payoff to Russia. With luck, they will be able to duplicate the Stalin starvation of the subject population, and bring in native Russians to take over the vacant farms. For Russia, win-win. More food, and those pesky upstarts are GONE!