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Kyiv's campaign start met by Russian import ban
Summary
A look back at 4 January 2019, days after Ukraine's presidential campaign opened and Moscow widened its sanctions.
What did Ukraine's political landscape look like on 4 January 2019? Two developments from the closing days of 2018 framed the moment.
On 31 December 2018, the presidential election campaign formally began in Ukraine. Candidates and parties entered the race at the turn of the year, so the first working days of January opened a new phase in the country's politics.
Two days earlier, on 29 December 2018, the government of the Russian Federation widened its sanctions against Ukraine. The measures banned imports of industrial goods, agricultural products and foodstuffs from Ukraine, according to an approved list.
The two developments arrived almost together. Ukraine entered its campaign season with a new trade restriction already imposed by its neighbour. The list-based ban covered manufactured goods as well as farm and food products, which widened the range of Ukrainian exports affected.
By 4 January 2019, the campaign was under way and the Russian restrictions were in place.
