EU seeks to take sting out of Russia food ban

Pro-Russian separatist military commander Igor Strelkov attends a news conference in the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk July 28, 2014. REUTERS/Sergei Karpukhin

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Commission will announce more help for EU fruit and vegetable producers early next week to try to stave off a price collapse after Russia's ban on most Western food imports.

Russia has declared a one-year embargo on meat, fish, dairy, fruit and vegetables from the United States, the European Union, Canada, Australia and Norway in retaliation for Western economic sanctions over Moscow's actions in Ukraine.