Russia mulls longer food import ban against West

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said Saturday that the Russian government will decide in August whether to extend its food import ban against a host of Western countries, and the decision will be subject to the country's national interests.

"We will make these decisions from our national interests. We were forced to adopt these responsive measures by actions of our neighbors and trade partners, so we need to see what decisions they will make," Medvedev was quoted as saying by the TASS news agency.

As the ban is to expire for a year in August, he said, Russia will decide whether to extend it, adjust it or give it up completely.

Medvedev added that Western sanctions and Russia's countermeasures have helped the country boost its domestic potential, as it has introduced a bunch of import substitution measures in the face of Western sanctions.

The West, citing Russia's takeover of Crimea in March 2014 and its alleged involvement in the conflicts in eastern Ukraine, has imposed rounds of sanctions on a number of Russian officials and companies.

In retaliation, Russia imposed a one-year ban on imports of beef, pork, poultry, fish, cheeses, fruits, vegetables and dairy products from the European Union and the United States.

The move, according to Medvedev, was to show that Russia is confident in turning the situation in its favor even under Western sanctions. Endi