Russia responds to Western sanctions by banning food imports from USA and EU for a year

Russia has responded to Western sanctions over the crisis in Ukraine with a year-long embargo on food imports from the European Union, as well as from the US, Moscow announced Thursday Aug 07,2014

Products banned with immediate effect from today include fruit, vegetables, meat, fish, milk and dairy, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev told a government meeting. 

The decision follows a decree signed by Russia’s president Vladimir Putin ordering the government to retaliate for Western sanctions against Moscow by limiting or banning food imports from the countries involved. 

The US and EU first imposed sanctions in March after Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine. They then tightened them after a Malaysian Airlines plane was put down last month while flying over eastern Ukraine, killing all 298 people.

Western governments, which accuse Moscow of financing rebels in eastern Ukraine, allege that the airliner was shot down by rebels using a missile supplied by Russia.

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev in televised comments, he told a government meeting:

 'Russia is introducing a full embargo on imports of beef, pork, fruit and vegetable produce, poultry, fish, cheese, milk and dairy products from the European Union, United States, Australia, Canada and Norway.'
The ban goes into effect immediately and will last one year unless 'our partners demonstrate a constructive approach' with regards to sanctioning Russia

Following the ban, Russia will look at increasing food import from some South American countries, inlcuding Ecuador, Brazil, Chile and Argentina