Ukraine to suspend trade with Crimea

He said Ukraine's cabinet had decided that "the supplying of goods, work, and services to Crimea and from Crimea" will be banned within 30 days. The only exceptions, the Premier said, would be "personal items, socially important foods, and humanitarian aid." Yatsenyuk added that the restoration of electricity to Crimea is a separate issue that could only be decided by Ukraine's Security and Defence Council. Crimea, which was annexed by Russia in March last year, is suffering long blackouts after pylons that supplied the peninsula were blown up by unknown people in November. The issue has caused a crisis in Crimea and has worsened Ukrainian-Russian tensions. Russia has suspend coal exports to Ukraine in retaliation.