BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom said on Wednesday that a planned EU-Ukraine trade deal would be implemented from the start of 2016 despite Russian calls for further delay.
"It is not for Russia to decide," Malmstrom told reporters on arrival for a meeting with EU trade ministers.
The start of 2016 is already a year later than planned as Russia seeks to oppose European efforts to integrate Ukraine and move it out of Moscow's sphere of influence. Russia had been pushing for the deal to be postponed by at least one more year.
(Reporting By Robin Emmott, editing by Philip Blenkinsop)
