Russia: No boycott for flowers yet
What is going on?
In an article on the website of the Russian government, Prime Minister Medvedec announces that the list of banned products will not be changed, "except for certain items related to biomaterials." Further in the article, he adds: "This list is not permanent and can be changed for a number of reasons, including progress in relations with our European partners and partners from a number of other countries." According to some Russian officials, these biomaterials could consist of flowers, chocolate and canned fish. However, to the present day there is no evidence that these sanctions will be implemented.
Besides that, it is important to note that even if these new sanctions are implemented, there is no talk about a time scheme. As Henk de Jong, commercial manager at Orchios and business developer of Decorum in Russia said last week, such a boycott can also take 6 months instead of a year.
In conclusion, it can be said that the statements of Medvedev and other officials concerning the extension have led to more unrest, but for the time being these threatening statements remain false alarm.