Putin: Ukraine’s integration with EU may compel Customs Union think of protective measures

Russian President Vladimir Putin did not rule out that Ukraine’s integration with the European Union may compel countries of the Customs Union to think of protective measures. “If our neighbours [Ukraine] liberalize considerably the customs regime with the European Union, Ukraine’s market will inevitably be flooded with commodities of quite good quality and price and goods of Ukrainian makes will be forced out of the Ukrainian market,” Putin said on Thursday at the meeting devoted to the social and economic development of the Rostov region. “The countries of the Customs Union [Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan] will then have to consider protective measures,” Putin said.