Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned Ukraine he will take “protective measures” if it signs an EU free trade pact.
Speaking on Thursday (22 August) at an economic forum in Rostov-on-Don, near Ukraine’s eastern border with Russia, he said: “If our neighbours opt to significantly liberalise customs rules with the European Union, the Ukrainian market will inevitably be flooded with high quality goods … and Ukrainian goods will be forced out of the Ukrainian market.”
He added: “Then, member states of the Customs Union will have to think about protective measures. Such a possibility exists.”
The Customs Union includes Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia.
But Moscow wants to pull in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan as well and to transform it into an EU-type “Eurasian Union” in the coming years.
On the other side, the EU has offered to sign a political association and free trade pact with Ukraine in November if it improves rule of law.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov is due in Russia for talks on trade on Monday.
Andrew Rettman