Russia will not sever its trade ties with Ukraine in case of the association of the latter with the European Union but Kyiv should hardly count on any privileges in addition to most-favored-nation status.

"There will be no severing of these ties. They will be exercised on the basis of the principle of most favored nation as it is implied, but additional privileges stemming from the CIS free trade zone treaty will hardly be applied if the Ukrainian market is overburdened with competing commodities from the European Union," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said at the eighth session of the Russian-Ukrainian subcommittee for international cooperation.

At the upcoming summit in Vilnius at the end of November Ukraine may sign an association agreement with the EU. Earlier Russian President Vladimir Putin said that it is an internal affair of Ukraine but openly declared that after signing the association agreement Ukraine will be unable to join the Customs Union.