New surge in Russia-Ukraine tensions as both countries block transit
Ukrainian trucks have been banned from Russia, in retaliation to the blocking of Russian vehicles in Ukraine, said Russia's transport ministry.
“The measures will be in place until a settlement of issues of illegal blocking of Russian auto vehicles on the Ukrainian territory by the Ukrainian side,” the ministry said in a prepared statement cited by the Wall Street Journal.
The trucks impasse is just the latest spike in tensions between Russia and neighbouring Ukraine, which kicked off after Moscow's annexation of Crimea in 2014. The annexation was condemned by many world leaders and triggered Western sanctions against Russia.
The Russian ministry said that some Russian vehicles had been blocked from entering Ukraine from 11 February, which violated a deal on international transit signed between the two countries.
The ministry said that more than 100 trucks have been blocked in Ukraine and more than 500 trucks are banned from entering Ukraine from the EU on their way back to Russia.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseny Yatsenyuk said the transit of Russian trucks through Ukraine has been stopped until Moscow explains the changes concerning the transit of Ukrainian trucks through Russia, reported Russian news site RT.