Russia may ban food from west for 18 more months

Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has dented EU hopes of an end to hard times for many farmers by saying Russia plans to extend its embargo on Western food products by a year and a half.

“I have ordered proposals to be drawn up to extend the retaliatory measures not by a year, but until the end of 2017,” Medvedev said in comments released by the government.

His proposals would have to be approved by Russia’s President Vladimir Putin.