“A crazy measure in a recession”: why Kyiv announced a ban on imports of goods from Russia

The government of Ukraine has announced a total embargo on imports of Russian goods.

This is stated in the press release of the Ministry of Economy of the country.

As noted in the department, from now on “no Russian products can be imported” into Ukrainian territory.

“Such a decisive step by Ukraine can serve as an example for our Western partners and will encourage them to strengthen sanctions against Russia, including the implementation of an energy embargo and the isolation of all Russian banks.

It is these actions that will become our contribution to the bleeding of the Russian economy and, thus, will contribute to our victory, ”the press service of the department quotes the words of First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy of Ukraine Yulia Sviridenko.

According to the Ukrainian side, the ban on Russian imports will block annual foreign exchange earnings in the Russian Federation in the amount of $6 billion.

Earlier, the Federal Customs Service of Russia reported that in 2021 the volume of exports from Russia to Ukrainian territory amounted to more than $8 billion (including LDNR).

Compared to 2020, this indicator grew by almost $2 billion. At the same time, the share of Ukraine in the volume of all Russian exports is less than 2%.

• Office of the President of Ukraine

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As political scientist and economist Alexander Dudchak noted in a conversation with RT, the announcement by Kiev of a complete embargo on the import of Russian goods should be regarded as the fulfillment of one of the tasks "to destroy Ukraine."

“Kyiv continues to destroy its country.

From the point of view of the authorities, which are interested in developing their territory and improving the welfare of the population, the Ukrainian leadership is taking a completely insane measure in the face of a sharp economic downturn within the state, ”the expert said in an interview with RT.

Dudchak recalled that Russia was one of the largest trading partners of Ukraine and supplied it primarily with oil and other mineral resources, chemical products, vehicles, as well as food and agricultural products.

Vladimir Shapovalov, deputy director of the Institute of History and Politics of the Moscow State Pedagogical University, also believes that the ban on Russian products will have the most negative impact on the standard of living of Ukrainian citizens.

“A significant part of the goods came from Russia, no matter how hard they tried in Kyiv to break these ties.

And now the already ruined Ukrainian economy is receiving another serious blow.

And if the Kiev authorities hope that they will be saved by Europe, which now has big problems against the backdrop of the energy crisis, then I have to admit: no supplies from the EU in the current conditions that could replace the share of products from the Russian Federation will follow, ”the analyst emphasized in R.T. comments.

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Shapovalov also called "ridiculous" Kyiv's calls to the West to impose additional sanctions against Russia, including an embargo on energy from the Russian Federation.

“Western countries have already applied the restrictions they could, and this has hit them rather than Russia.

Their sanctions potential is practically exhausted.

In addition, Europe has already made it clear that a complete embargo on Russian energy carriers will not follow in the near future,” the expert noted.

Against the backdrop of a humanitarian catastrophe

According to Oleksandr Dudchak, setting the task for the regions of Ukraine to completely abandon Russian products, Kyiv thinks only about its political image in the eyes of the West, but not about its own citizens who find themselves in a situation of humanitarian disaster through the fault of nationalists.

“In fact, the Ukrainian authorities once again confirm that people in the territories under their control are intended for slaughter and are used solely as a resource in hostilities, for example, as a human shield.

Kyiv is now engaged in the depopulation of its own population, including due to this kind of embargo, ”the expert noted.

Recall that the Russian Ministry of Defense has repeatedly made statements that a very difficult humanitarian situation is developing in a number of Ukrainian cities, which “continues to degrade” due to the fault of the Kiev authorities.

“In some cities, where, with the full connivance of official Kiev, gangs of nationalists and criminals are operating, it (the humanitarian situation.

) has already become catastrophic,” the Ministry of Defense said in a March 16 message following a meeting of the interdepartmental coordinating headquarters of the Russian Federation for humanitarian response in Ukraine .

According to the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, for example, in Kharkov, the local population is “intimidated by militants of nationalist formations”, who open fire on civilians who have left their shelters in search of food and basic necessities.

“Such actions by Kyiv once again demonstrate an inhuman attitude towards the fate of their own citizens and testify to the complete disregard for all norms of morality and international humanitarian law,” the headquarters said in a statement published by the Russian Defense Ministry.

At the same time, since March 2, Russia has delivered to Ukraine about 10,000 tons of humanitarian cargo, including essentials, medicines and food.

According to Shapovalov, the current statement of the Kiev authorities on the embargo is aimed solely at creating an informational occasion.

“The Ukrainian authorities want to emphasize the strength of the struggle that Kyiv is waging against Moscow.

But Ukraine makes this decision not out of its economic interests or the interests of its citizens, but because of the desire to shine in the information war.

This is an extremely ill-conceived decision, ”the analyst believes.

By the principle of reversal

However, Kyiv is being cunning when it talks about a complete embargo on Russian imports, Vladimir Shapovalov believes.

After all, he does not refuse the reverse of Russian gas or its transportation through its territory.

Recall that since 2015, Ukraine has refused direct supplies of blue fuel to the Russian Federation, preferring to purchase from the western direction, in fact, the same Russian gas, but at a premium.

At the same time, Kyiv uses a virtual reverse mechanism - it takes gas from the transit flow coming from Russia to Europe, in agreement with the buyer of blue fuel.

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“Ukraine continues to buy Russian gas, albeit at exorbitant prices, through European intermediaries.

In addition, it does not refuse contracts concluded with Russia for the transit of blue fuel through its territory.

This is a critical area on which Kyiv depends on Moscow, so the Ukrainian authorities quietly continue these economic ties with Russia and are not going to curtail them.

Reverse history is the quintessence of Kiev cunning,” the expert said.

According to Shapovalov, the same can happen with the supply of many Russian goods.

“Kyiv can find loopholes and buy these products from other countries, but at higher prices, although in fact it will still be Russian,” the analyst said.

According to Oleksandr Dudchak, the practice of past years, when Kyiv consistently severed its relations with Moscow, shows that it is mainly Ukraine, not Russia, that finds itself in an extremely disadvantageous position.

“The negative experience of Kyiv, when the refusal to cooperate with the Russian Federation in many areas led to the impoverishment of the population, did not teach Ukraine anything.

Now, like many years before, we are talking about exclusively politically motivated actions of the Ukrainian authorities, which in the current conditions are simply disastrous for the country, ”the expert believes.

If we talk about the consequences of the embargo for Russia, then, as Dudchak recalled, Ukraine is not one of the largest Russian trading partners.

“The embargo of Kyiv is not critical for the Russian side.

It can easily redirect its commodity flows to other countries, for example, Southeast Asia.

In addition, due to the global increase in prices for products, Russia will be able to compensate for possible losses by increasing prices for these exports.

As for Ukraine, the new ban will be extremely tangible for it, especially in the context of a sharp decline in the economy and a humanitarian catastrophe in a large part of the country's territory, ”concluded the analyst.