Ukraine's trade war with Russia ended this week as suddenly as it begun on Aug. 14, when Ukrainian companies started complaining that Russian customs had added the country’s exports to its “high-risk” list, effectively halting products from crossing the border.
The move was widely seen as a strategic one on the part of the
Russians, who would prefer that Ukraine drop its Western ambitions. It
also came on the heels of an across-the-board ban on chocolates made by
Ukraine’s largest confectioner, Roshen. On Tuesday, Aug. 20, Kyiv and
Moscow said the trade war had ceased, and the customs regime at border
crossings had returned to normal. The announcement came four days after a
telephone conversation between the countries’ presidents. Although the
details of this conversation remain confidential, Ukrainian media
speculated that the presidents agreed to meet in early autumn to discuss
the prospects of Ukraine’s joining the Customs Union.
