“Trade turnover with Russia has halved, it’s a stable tendency that has continued for years. In fact, Russia will stop being one of Ukraine’s main trade partners in the near future,” he said.
In early December, Ukraine's Deputy Head of the State Customs Service, Anatoly Makarenko, described Russia as one of his country's key trade partners. He said that Russia accounted for 20 percent of Ukrainian exports.
Ukraine's primarily exports foodstuffs including meat, poultry, and dairy, as well as rolled metal products, to Russia. About 60 percent of Ukrainian milk products have been exported to Russia in previous years.
In late June, Ukraine signed an association agreement with the European Union that included the elimination of import duties. But in September, Kiev and Brussels agreed to delay Ukraine's entry to the EU free trade zone due to Russia's reservations.
