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Zelensky's envoy admits that it is impossible to sever economic ties with Russia

Andrei Gerus said that Ukraine continues to sell its goods in Russia and import some types of commodity from Russia

KIEV, Mat 24. /TASS/. Ukrainian president’s envoy to the cabinet of ministers Andrei Gerus has admitted that today Kiev cannot sever economic relations with Russia.

"I don’t think it can," he said in an interview with NewsOne television channel on Friday when asked a corresponding question.

Ukraine continues to sell its goods in Russia and import some types of commodity from Russia, he explained. "In some sectors, such as energy, a large portion of supplies comes from Russia. Moreover, we export oil products from Belarusm the Baltic republics and even from Poland, but these products are made of Russian oil after all. We are living in a globalized world and it is unrealistic and impossible to sever economic relations once and for all," he stressed.

Following the enforcement of the economic section of Ukraine’s association agreement with the European Union on January 1, 2016, Russia suspended its free trade zone agreement with Ukraine in a bid to protect its own economic interests. Apart from that, Russia’s food embargo imposed as a response to the European Union’s anti-Russian sanctions has been applicable to Ukraine since early 2016.

Ukraine, in turn, banned imports of goods of Russian origin. The relevant decree came into force on January 10, 2016. Ukraine expanded sanctions against Russian goods throughout 2016. The Ukrainian sanctions cover meat and meat products, fish, dairy products, processed cheese, coffee, tea, grain, confectionery, etc. In 2018, the ban was extended till 2020.

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