Russia appoints permanent trade representative in Ukraine for the first time since 2012
Russia has appointed Andrey Babko as its permanent trade representative in Ukraine. Since 2013, Babko has served in the same capacity in Armenia.
The relevant government decree has been published on Russia’s official legal information website.
The position of Russia’s permanent trade representative in Ukraine has been vacant since February 2012, when the former representative Sergey Ivanov retired. Since then, the trade representative’s duties have been carried out by Sergey Solomin.
Oleh Ustenko, economic advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, believes that the political limitations should be taken into account in trade with Russia. He also said that the Russian market is effectively lost to Ukraine.