INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Russia is suspending imports of bananas and flowers from Ecuador, weeks after Quito agreed to a U.S
weapons deal that will result in Ukraine receiving Soviet-era military equipment from the South American country.The Russian agriculture
watchdog, Rosselkhoznadzor, said in a statement that authorizations for five Ecuadoran exporters were suspended from Tuesday due to the
detection of pests.Nine out of 10 bananas imported by Russia come from Ecuador, according to Russian media.The restrictions on certain
flower imports will come into force on Friday
Ecuador is one of the world's top exporters of flowers, mainly roses.The decisions come in the wake of Ecuadoran President Daniel Noboa's
10 that he had accepted a U.S
offer to exchange the Soviet-era equipment for modern U.S
weapons in a $200 million deal.The United States has said that the Ecuadoran equipment would be shipped to Ukraine to help Kyiv in its
conflict with Russia.The deal has angered Moscow, with Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova saying last week that Ecuador had made a
"reckless decision under serious pressure from external interested parties."Zakharova added that Ecuador had a contractual obligation to not
transfer such equipment to a third party without Russia's consent.Noboa has said that Quito had every right to conduct the deal because it
involved "scrap."The Ecuadoran leader spoke with Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky during the swearing-in of Argentina's new
President Javier Milei in Buenos Aires.
