The mood at Friday’s top-level meeting between the European Union and Russia was strained, not least on the trade-political front.
The objective of the meeting was for the EU and Russia to sign a comprehensive partnership agreement, but EU member Poland would have no part of this as Russia instituted an import ban on several Polish food products, including meat items.
Further tension was added when the Russians, just before the start of the meeting, warned they were considering a ban on all imports of animal products, including seafood, from the EU as from Jan.
