Ukrainian president orders formal halt of trade with Russia

KYIV - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky instructed the government to formalize the cessation of Ukraine's trade with Russia, the presidential press service said in a statement Wednesday.

In fact, import and export operations between Ukraine and Russia have been completely terminated since the start of the conflict, the statement said.

According to Ukraine's Fiscal Service, Ukraine saw a 38.7 percent year-on-year growth in trade with Russia in 2021 with a value of $10.09 billion. Exports grew by 26.5 percent to 3.44 billion dollars, while imports increased by 45.9 percent to 6.65 billion dollars.