Russia threatens Dutch flower boycott

Russia is considering banning imports of all flowers from the Netherlands, claiming that the flowers contain pests. Dutch Agriculture and Horticulture organization thinks that the actual reason is politically motivated. According to the Russian agricultural supervisor, flowers from the Netherlands are full of pests that form a "serious danger to the Russian economy and agriculture, the Volkskrant reports. Last year Russia important about 205 million euros in flowers from the Netherlands. LTO, however, believes that it is highly unlikely that this is the real reason for the boycott. "The Dutch standard is high for that matter", a spokesperson for LTO said to the newspaper. "Any party that leaves the country is strictly checked. It would take years to restore confidence should unexpected pests be found in the flowers and plants." Russia's announcement that they are considering a flower boycott followed shortly after the Netherlands started working on the establishment of an international tribunal to prosecute those responsible for the disaster with flight MH17. The Russians are firmly opposed to the tribunal, with both President Vladimir Putin and the country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs stating that the tribunal would be "counterproductive".