MOSCOW, June 29 (Xinhua) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday signed a decree to extend embargo on food imports from the European Union (EU) and other countries in response to the ongoing Western sanctions against Moscow.
In line with a decree by the Russian president, special economic restrictive measures will be extended from Aug. 6, 2016 to the end of 2017, in order to "ensure Russia's national security," according to a government online document.
The United States and the EU have slapped several rounds of sanctions over Russia's annexation of Crimea and involvement in the Ukraine crisis since July 2014.
Moscow has repeatedly denied the accusations over the Ukraine crisis, stressing that Western sanctions were counterproductive.
In response, Russia imposed a year-long embargo on food imports from Western countries in August 2014, and extended the anti-sanction measures for one more year in June 2015.
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