Ukraine and Russia are "resolving" the conflict related to the trucking of goods. The background and prospects of a new trade war, the reaction of Europe and the view of the interested party - Kazakhstan - in a selection of materials

The background and prospects of a new trade war, the reaction of Europe and the view of the interested party - Kazakhstan - in a selection of materials

- ... I think that this is a gross mistake and a tragedy - stopping the goods that went to Europe from our territory, especially on the eve of the vote in the referendum in the Netherlands on association with Ukraine! This puts a large-scale provocation under the image of our state as a reliable international partner!

The head of the Opposition Bloc faction in the Rada, Yuriy Boyko, a former noble member of the Regions, former vice-premier for fuel and energy in the government of Mykola Azarov, a lobbyist for Russian oil companies, who throughout his previous political life advocated against European integration in favor of the Customs Union, scolded the government at a meeting of the Conciliation Council leaders of parliamentary factions and committees.

“Instead of intervening and stopping the campaign to block Russian trucks, which has already spread to ten regions of Ukraine,” Boyko was indignant, “the authorities themselves actually joined the “people's initiative”!

On Monday morning, a press release appeared on the official website of the Cabinet of Ministers. In response to restrictions imposed by Russia on the movement of Ukrainian goods through its territory, in violation of WTO rules and a bilateral intergovernmental agreement on road transport, Kyiv acted in a similar way. Until an explanation is received from the Russian side.

At the beginning of the year, Aivaras Abromavicius, Minister of Economic Development and Trade of Ukraine, informed the Cabinet of Ministers: by a decree of the President of the Russian Federation dated January 1, 2016, Russia unilaterally introduced new rules for the transit of goods by road through the country. However, the rules acted exclusively in the direction "Ukraine - Kazakhstan". On the same day, the government of the Russian Federation determined that cargo from Ukraine to Kazakhstan should be sealed along the entire route through the territory of Russia, and the border with Belarus should be crossed only at a single checkpoint "Krasnoye".

According to the office of Abromavicius, for 9 months of 2015, the export of goods from Ukraine to Kazakhstan, compared to the corresponding period of 2014, decreased by 35 percent. (The main export items are products of agriculture, the food industry, metallurgy, and the chemical industry.) Now, however, the shallow stream threatened to disappear altogether. The ministry assumed that the complication of the transit of Ukrainian goods through the territory of the Russian Federation to third countries would affect further trade with Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, China, etc. For refusing to join the Eurasian Economic Union, Russia tried to punish Ukraine on all fronts...

Abromavicius was supported by Infrastructure Minister Andrei Pivovarsky. Both said: Kyiv will hold consultations with the EU on the possibility of imposing retaliatory restrictions. On January 6, Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk informed his colleagues about his readiness to notify WTO members about Moscow's illegal actions.

It looks like the promise was kept, the advice received. Including a radical one: to repay Russia with the same coin. Therefore, neither the Ukrainian police nor the border guards prevented former ATO fighters and other civil activists from slowing down trucks with Russian license plates at improvised checkpoints.

Volunteers did not use force against truckers. But if on board the car they saw a painted St. George ribbon, they repainted part of the body, and even the wheels in blue and yellow colors ... Almost all participants in the action spoke out categorically: “We are either trading or fighting!”

In total, on Monday morning, according to the head of the state fiscal service Roman Nasirov, about a hundred Russian trucks were in “captivity” in Ukraine. Nasirov, unlike his colleagues from the government, did not approve of the action, even calling it a "crime."

The peak of events coincided with the visit of Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu to Ukraine. "Russia's actions are a continuation of its not only military, but also economic and financial aggression!" - it was noticeable that the words of Arseniy Yatsenyuk, addressed to a colleague, find understanding and support from his side. Moreover, in the Russian Federation, as reported by Rostransnadzor, as of February 16, 324 vehicles belonging to Ukrainian carriers were detained.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine sent a note of the corresponding content to the Russian Federation. But in parallel, as it turned out, the parties have already started technical consultations on the issue of transit of trucks. This news was announced at a briefing by Infrastructure Minister Andrei Pivovarsky: "I hope that a balanced decision on this topic will be made in the near future."

Olga Musafirova , staff correspondent of Novaya Gazeta, Kiev

direct speech

Oleksandr, head of the CARGO-TRANS-SERVICE company from the Luhansk region, said that two trucks of his company were detained by the transport police right on the road in the Vladikavkaz region, after seeing Ukrainian license plates. They were transporting products through Russia in transit to Georgia, and the cargo will stand at customs for another day - then it will begin to deteriorate. Alexander will send the rest of his cars to a detour of Russia. “For 15 years we traveled through Russia, it was convenient. Now we will get out of the situation,” he says.

Documents: transit contracts, coupons - the police take away. Without them, the driver cannot continue driving. “Until further notice,” drivers answer questions about when it will be possible to continue driving.

Larisa from another trucking company, FL-P Bayrachny V.A., says that one of their trucks, which had just crossed the Russian-Ukrainian border, had to be urgently returned to Ukraine - they learned from colleagues that otherwise they would take away the documents and generally block them in the parking lot . Another driver is stuck at customs in Nizhny Novgorod - he is also afraid to move, so as not to get caught by the police.

Natalia Zotova

Europe's reaction: "Retaliation measures are unacceptable"

She considers it a bilateral affair of the two countries, but cannot remain indifferent, because it directly affects cargo transportation between Russia and the EU countries. For the European Union, this scandal is essentially similar to the old "gas disputes" between Moscow and Kiev, from which European consumers suffered. Brussels refrains from commenting in favor of one side or the other, but warns against escalation based on emotions.

Daniel Rosario, a spokesman for the transport department of the EU executive board, told Novaya Gazeta that the European Commission is still “evaluating the difficult situation”, clarifying the details, including the measures taken by Russia against Ukrainian trucks.

According to him, "any actions that affect trade should be discussed on a bilateral basis between the relevant partners." But in any case, the Brussels official stressed, "retaliatory measures that are not provided for by the legal framework are unacceptable."

Ukraine has taken the initiative and is conducting technical consultations with representatives of the European Commission and the transport authorities of individual EU countries. Rosario confirmed that his office is in constant contact with the Ukrainian authorities.

Alexander Mineev , staff correspondent of Novaya Gazeta, Brussels

Kazakhstan: It's time to look for workarounds

Another skirmish between Russia and Ukraine on trade grounds in the form of blocking the passage of cargo trucks in one direction and the other had the least effect on Kazakhstan. From January 1, Kazakh heavy trucks can transport goods from Ukraine through Russia in a special order - with the GLONASS system, security and a detour through Belarus. This added inconvenience to drivers and carriers, but at least there is no more mass blocking of cars, like the one that was at the end of August last year.

True, it was not without excesses at all: one heavy truck from Kazakhstan was nevertheless detained as part of the “van war”. It happened in the Sumy region of Ukraine. “[Customs officers] said: they say, how do we know that you are Kazakhs? You can deceive us. In general, unpleasant conversations,” Teodor Kaplan, Secretary General of the Union of International Road Carriers of the Republic of Kazakhstan, described the situation to a Novaya correspondent. The truck was eventually released, especially since it was empty and was traveling “not for sanctioned goods,” but the Union of Carriers fears that this is the first signal and the situation can only get worse on both sides.

The Kazakh authorities have not yet made loud statements, following the development of the conflict, but it is possible that they will not happen, since Russia's neighbor and trading partner is already actively involved in alternative options for transporting goods. First of all, we are talking about a ferry service across the Caspian Sea from the port of Aktau - this somewhat increases the time of the cargo in transit, but completely bypasses the territory of Russia. For many carriers who ship goods from Turkey to Europe or from Ukraine to Kazakhstan, this is a great motivation: there are so many people who want to use the ferry route (according to Theodor Kaplan, the number has increased dozens of times lately), that the Kazakh authorities are already quickly working on the issue about the expansion of port areas.

Vyacheslav Polovinko , Kazakhstan