From the Guardian:
A glut of French pears, warehouses full of German sausage, rotting Polish peppers, and unwanted Scottish mackerel: Russia's move to ban European food imports in retaliation for EU sanctions is having a telling effect across a continent already slouching towards another recession.
Last year, EU farm exports to Russia were worth €11bn (£9bn). Officials in Brussels are scrambling to come up with measures, which may be announced early next week, to soften the impact of a ban that could cut that export market in half.
But already there is sign of dissent. In recent days, the leaders of Hungary, Slovakia, and Sweden have all spoken out about the damage done by tit-for-tat sanctions that are really starting to bite for businesses on both sides of the standoff. Most notably, Hungary's Viktor Orbán called it "shooting oneself in the foot". And it is farmers in the major food exporters – Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, and France – who have been hobbled.
To read the full article, visit the Guardian's website.
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