The Secretariat of the World Trade Organization (WTO) has sent WTO member states a statement by Ukraine saying that Russia has been using illegal and discriminatory trade restrictions as of January 1, 2016, Ukraine's Ministry of Economic Development and Trade reported on its website on Friday.

In its statement, Ukraine draws the WTO member states' attention to the fact that after Ukraine had decided to introduce a deep and comprehensive free trade area with the European Union, Russia on January 1, 2016, took several politically motivated trade restriction measures.

Ukraine emphasizes that such measures as an embargo on the import of certain types of farm produce, raw materials and food products originating from Ukraine, a halt to a preferential trade regime under the CIS Free Trade Agreement and limitations on transit shipments of Ukrainian goods to Kazakhstan via Russian territory violate international law, the WTO Agreement and the Organization's fundamental principles, and the obligations of the Russian Federation as a WTO member state.

Ukrainian Economic Development and Trade Minister Aivaras Abromavicius said that with the support of its trading partners, the government of Ukraine would appeal to the WTO against Russia's actions. Ukraine also plans to introduce alternative transit routes and enter new sales markets.