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Moscow may ban all Ukrainian transport running across Russia — PM

"It’s necessary to apply counter-measures imposed in order to urge the Ukrainian side to settle the case," the Russian prime minister said

© Alexandr Astafiev/Russian government's press service/TASS

GORKI, February 15. /TASS/. Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev did not rule out blocking traffic flow of all transport from Ukraine across Russia.

"It’s necessary to apply counter measures imposed in order to urge the Ukrainian side to settle the case (suspension of Russian trucks), additional supervisory powers now to all kinds of transport running from the territory of Ukraine," Medvedev said at a meeting with his deputies on Monday.

PM requested "continuation of consultations through the foreign ministry, transport ministry and the Russian embassy." Also, he asked Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich to join the talks if it’s needed.

"If they [Ukrainian authorities] are not able to establish order we’ll be forced to respond to it accordingly," Medvedev said meaning control over movement of all types of transport from the territory of Ukraine.

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"Some people of unsound mind are attempting to stop all our heavy haulers" in the territory of Ukraine, the Prime Minister said. "You and I understand: the Ukrainian state regrettably unable to instill order is responsible for all developments in its territory," Medvedev said.

"The fact that some roughnecks stop heavy haulers there using firearms means there is no government in Ukraine, or, in other words, these extremist groups are at the helm of state," he said.

These extremist groups "either subdued the government or the government does not respond to them at all," Medvedev said. "This is a disgraceful think. It violates all international carriage rules and the response should be appropriate," he added.

Russia has blocked movement of all heavy trucks from Ukraine, except for those driving to Kazakhstan under guard

Russia has blocked the movement of all heavy trucks from Ukraine on its territory, except for those which are driving to Kazakhstan under guard, Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich said at a meeting of Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev with his deputies on Monday.

"At present the movement of Ukrainian transport vehicles on the territory of Russia has been halted, except for transport vehicles which are moving to Kazakhstan under guard. These transport vehicles have not been halted yet," - he said.

Dvorkovich said that until Sunday, February 14, Russia had not taken any measures against Ukrainian carriers.

Since the consultations between the Foreign Ministry, Transport Ministry on Sunday failed to resolve the situation, the decision was made to halt the traffic of Ukrainian heavy trucks on the territory of Russia.

According to Dvorkovich, on Monday, after Kiev received additional information from Moscow about the halt of heavy trucks the Ukrainian authorities decided to suspend the movement of Russian haulers.

"That means that they actually legalized the actions they took earlier," - the Deputy Prime Minister said.

He said that the Russian authorities are still trying to resolve the situation.

"The foreign ministry, transport ministry and our ambassador to Ukraine continue taking steps to unblock the situation in Ukraine," Dvorkovich said.

According to the Russian Ministry of Transport, over 100 heavy trucks remain blocked in Ukraine and over 500 ones can not enter Ukraine’s territory on the way back to Russia from the European Union. Russia in its turn suspended traffic of Ukraine’s trucks over its territory.

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