Russia suspends free-trade deal with Ukraine from 2016
President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday signed a decree suspending Russia's free-trade agreement with Ukraine as of January 1, the same day Kiev is set to enter a similar trade deal with Brussels, according to AFP.
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, speaking in Brussels, admitted Russia's retaliatory move would cause "damage" to his country's economy but said he was "ready to pay the price" and press on with efforts to join a European Union free trade zone.
Putin's decree orders a halt to the 2011 Russian-Ukrainian agreement "due to exceptional circumstances which impact the interests and economic security of the Russian Federation", according to the official document posted online.
"These measures are meant to protect Russia's economic interests," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists, citing a lack of protection for the Russian market once Kiev's free trade agreement with the EU goes into effect.