Russia looks for ways to soften impact of food import bans

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia will allow imports from neighbouring Belarus and Kazakhstan of food processed from Western raw materials as Moscow seeks to damp down domestic food price rises triggered by its ban on food imports from the West.

On Aug. 7, Russia banned all meat, fish, dairy, fruit and vegetable imports from the United States, the European Union, Norway, Canada, and Australia for one year to retaliate against Western sanctions on Moscow over the Ukraine crisis.