MOSCOW, August 28 (RIA Novosti) - The food import ban introduced by Russia is expected to have a big impact on the Polish economy, Wanda Nowicka, the deputy speaker of the Sejm, the lower chamber of the Polish parliament, told the Baltkom radio station.
“Russian sanctions have a huge impact on the economic situation in Poland, in particular, on foodstuffs producers. Polish citizens are determined to support local producers, mainly farmers growing apples. … But the financial problems of those farmers could last for an indefinite period of time without the support of the European Union,” Nowicka said.
Poland is one of the countries affected Russia’s food import ban introduced in response to Western sanctions against Russia. The food embargo targets meat, fish, dairy, fruit and vegetables and other products from the United States, the European Union, Canada, Australia and Norway.
Latvia, Austria and Australia have also spoken of the negative effect that the Russian food ban will have on their food industries.
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich recently said Moscow would lift the embargo once Russia was sure that there was no longer any threat to its national security.
The West implemented sanctions on the suspicion that Russia was fueling the crisis in Ukraine, where Kiev-backed forces are fighting independence supporters of the eastern regions. Moscow has repeatedly called the Western measures counterproductive and denied any involvement in the Ukrainian conflict.
