Russia again bares its teeth

A Customs Union between Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan has just started to function, with Moscow immediately trying to show a subversive position. The notorious Genady Onishenko, the head of Russia’s federal service for the protection of consumers' rights requested the customs union counterparts to stop importing wines and mineral waters from Moldova and Georgia via these countries into Russia. The request or rather order was given by Onishenko on July 30, but as is customary for the Kremlin, Onishenko commented that Russia is not imposing its will on the union members but simply giving its recommendation. “We have provided information to our colleagues based on the legal acts of the customs union of Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus that the use of number of products in our country is limited. We have asked that they take measures not to let Georgian and Moldovan wines and mineral waters onto Russian territory,” Russian news agency, Interfax, reported Onishchenko as saying.

As most of you are aware, Russia imposed a ban on Georgia and later on Moldova on exporting their main agricultural products into Russia as a punishment against the independent moves these countries took to try to get free themselves of Russian influence. Wine and mineral water are major agricultural products of these countries and until recently Russia was the main importer. It is obvious that Moscow continues its policy of exerting different types of pressure in a disguised manner on those former Soviet Union countries that blatantly pave their own way towards independence and sovereignty.

Analysts believe that Russia will meet resistance from Belarus in imposing its new ‘directive,’ as Belarus and its president Lukashenko have recently made several moves and statements to prove its political and economic independence from Russia. So far there have been no official responses from neither Belarus nor Kazakhstan.