Russia warns Ukraine over ‘historic deal’ with the EU
Russia has warned of serious consequences following Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko’s signing of a deal with European Parliament President Martin Schultz.
The deal which was simultaneously ratified in Kyiv and Strasbourg will make Ukraine compliant with EU standards in areas of human rights, security and arms control and remove trade barriers.
In the Russian parliament members of President Vladimir Putin’s United Russia Party reacted with dismay. Franz Klintsevich said, “As soon as these agreements are approved we’ll be forced to close our borders for many goods because we clearly understand that neither Ukraine nor Russia will be able to compete with the relatively cheap high quality products from Europe. “
Russia has negotiated a postponement until 2016 of the free-trade part of the deal. But the the current crisis has already hit trade ties with the neighbours imposing economic sanctions on each other.
http://www.euronews.com/2014/09/17/russia-warns-ukraine-over-historic-deal-with-the-eu/
Europe has some of the highest paid workers and strongest unions in the world. Wages in Ukraine and Russia are a fraction of what they are in Europe. They can begin to make "relatively cheap high quality products". Or they can retreat and build walls against them. The latter means their citizens get 'relatively expensive low quality products'.
= new reply since forum marked as read
