The Russian authorities have introduced a sweeping ban on imports of fruit and vegetables from Poland, depriving it of a major export market.
Russia's food hygiene authorities said the imports had unacceptable levels of pesticide residues and nitrates.
They earn Poland more than 1bn euros (£795m; $1.3bn) annually. Russia is Poland's biggest market for apples.
The move follows EU sanctions against Russia over Ukraine - and Poland has condemned Russian actions there.
Poland and some other former communist bloc countries are among the most vocal critics of Russia in the current crisis, accusing Moscow of supplying the separatist rebels in eastern Ukraine with arms and volunteers.
The cost to Poland of the import ban is likely to be 0.6% of GDP (national output) by the end of the year, Polish Deputy Prime Minister Janusz Piechocinski was quoted as saying.
Agriculture accounts for about 3.8% of Poland's total GDP. Polish growers plan to seek compensation from the EU for the loss of earnings.
Poles have been posting images of apples on social media as a way of protesting against Russia.
(SOURCE: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-28603140)Lithuania was quick to poke fun at this kind of Russian behavior. It's not the first time Russia attempts to ban certain imports as a way of retaliating against opposing countries. Not so long ago they have banned imports of Lithuanian milk products, but once these efforts seemed ineffective, imports were re-opened.
Lithuanian journalist and well known public figure, Andrius Tapinas, has decided to initiate a protest and support our Polish neighbors - he invited a crowd of people to bring a bag of Polish apples and eat them infront of the Russian Federation embassy in Lithuania. Mr. Tapinas has been allowed by the guarding police officer to use the demophone and invite the Russian Embassy workers to have some apples too. The Embassy workers have agreed, but instead of coming out to talk with the protesters, they called the police, and a van with Lithuanian Police officers, armed with AK47's (I wonder what the Russians have told them in the 112 call lol) has arrived instead. Upon checking the identities of all the protesters and making sure they have nothing dangerous with them, the police officers encouraged the protesters to leave and has taken off. Polish ambassador has thanked Lithuanians for such an initiative. "Only in trouble you recognize your true friends" he said.
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