Russian President Vladimir Putin has extended Moscow’s embargo on food products from the West, which includes the UK, to the end of 2019.
The move by Moscow is a continued retaliation against sanctions imposed by the West following Russian military intervention in Ukraine, which began in late February 2014.
A decree signed by Putin last week, and posted on an official government website, says the embargo on produce, dairy, meat and most other foods will now stretch to December 31, 2019.
In August 2014, Moscow banned most food imports from the European Union, which includes the UK, the United States and other countries after they imposed sanctions over its annexation of Crimea and support of east Ukraine’s separatists.
In late June, EU leaders agreed to extend their punishing economic sanctions against Russia over the conflict in Ukraine for a further six months.
The Western sanctions, as well as Moscow’s own embargo, have affected the Russian economy.
