Russia: Another Ukrainian Trade War
Russia and Ukraine are stored on the verge connected with an ‘automotive trade war’ despite Russia’s accession on the World Trade Organisation in August 2012; and Ukraine as a possible existing W.T.O. member considering the protocols and agreements, both have promised to follow.
This disagreement follows a good line of disputes since dissolution with the USSR and Ukrainian independence; the modern was the so-called ‘Cheese War’ in the event the Russian diary industry successfully lobbied the Russian Duma for that removal ‘substandard’ Ukrainian diary- products from Russian retail stores.
The ‘Cheese War’ preceded the greater serious and on-going ‘Gas War’s.’ The Gas disputes going in the 1990’s and peaked 2005-2006, 2007-2008 and 2008-2009.
The latest spat between nations follows Russia’s decision introducing the ‘utilisation-fee’, more colloquially referred to as the ‘recycling-tax’ or ‘scrappage tax’. On the face of computer the new tax is usually a protectionist measure to the nascent Russian car industry as well as its major foreign OEM investors (Ford, General Motors, Hyundai, Toyota and Volkswagen et al)
Disputes involving Russia and her neighbours ought to be looked at holistically since it is not the ‘obvious’ which is the cause in the belligerence. Politics and business within the former Soviet Union are intrinsically linked, opaque of course and do not follow quite exactly the same pattern as seen within the west.
In May 2009 President Putin visited Russian war graves inside the Ukraine. After a wreath laying ceremony in the grave of Anton Denikin, the famous White Russian General who fought the Bolsheviks, he urged the journalists to see Denikin’s diaries.
“He includes a discussion there about Big Russia and Little Russia-Ukraine,” he was quoted saying. “He says that nobody needs to be permitted to interfere in relations between us; they’ve always been this company of Russia itself.”
Parts of Ukraine were a part formerly referred to as “Little Russia,” while Russia was called “Great Russia.” Whilst demeaning into a Ukrainians; the definition of “Little Russia” exemplifies Putin’s strong nationalistic beliefs and may even be seen like a warning for the West to never meddle in Ukraine, a nation that Russia want to bring more detailed home as well as join the Eurasian Economic Union.
Gas and Gazprom, the final strategic weapon, influences politicians as very little other; no politician really wants to responsible for running the continent whilst its’ citizens freeze. In the case on the Ukraine, especially if your ‘Orange Revolution’ is definately a recent memory.
Despite the pressures, Viktor Yanukovych, President of Ukraine, doesn’t have a wish to be subservient on the Kremlin; to your contrary he seems needing to show his independence.
This may explain why those deemed ‘too’ Russia -friendly are penalized in eliminating by proxy.
“My enemy’s friend is my enemy.”
Yulia Tymoshenko is really a controversial figure, originally making her fortune inside gas industry; with no political lightweight in Ukraine. She was formally Prime Minister of Ukraine in 2005, and again from 2007 to 2010. Showing that politics and company is an opaque and dangerous game on the loser, she was sentenced to seven years in prison, being found guilty of ‘abuse of office’ when brokering the 2009 gas take care of Russia.