You're reading: Party of Regions member says Russia forcing Ukraine into Customs Union

Member of the Party of Regions parliamentary faction Volodymyr Oliynyk says he believes that the recent actions by the Russian Customs Service against imports of Ukrainian goods could result into Russia's own failure.

“If this is true and there are certain attempts to create more such obstacles to goods movement, then Russia will certainly lose, as China is unable to replace our products there [in Russia],” Oliynyk told Interfax-Ukraine on Wednesday, while commenting on a statement circulated by the Federation of Employers of Ukraine saying that the Customs Service of the Russian Federation put all Ukrainian imports on the list of potentially dangerous goods as of August 14, which halted shipments of goods from Ukraine for an indefinite time.

The Ukrainian MP stressed that Ukrainian products are better than those of Russia and China and added that it is Russians who will suffer from the embargo on Ukrainian goods.

“This is not the way one should be communicating with neighbors, independent states if there is any suggestion for uniting,” he said.

According to him, Ukraine “wants to develop in line with the rules of a market-oriented economy.”

Oliynyk also said he had a feeling that Russia is trying to force Ukraine into the Customs Union in an uncivilized manner.

He added that the gas contract between Ukraine and Russia, which was signed in 2009 by the then Prime Minister of Ukraine Yulia Tymoshenko, was also aimed at forcing Ukraine to become a member of the Customs Union.

“It is a chain of some uncivilized and non-European ways of inviting,” Oliynyk said.