Putin extends economic counter-sanctions to end of 2019

MOSCOW - Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree to extend measures countering Western economic sanctions for another year to the end of 2019.

The decree was published Thursday on the official website of legal information.

Russia has from since 2014, introduced a set of counter-sanctions, banning imports of certain commodities, primarily food items, from a number of countries, including the United States, the European Union, Norway, Australia and Canada.

In 2015, Russia added Albania, Montenegro, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Ukraine to the list.

These steps were made in response to sanctions imposed by these countries on Russia due to Crimea and Moscow's alleged involvement in the conflict in southeast Ukraine.