KIEV, Sept. 17 – Ukraine, owing to a "trade war" with Russia, is gaining for many centuries its economic independence from the unpredictable northern neighbor, former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko said.

"Do not block this natural process, do not produce hysteria around this, and let this historical event happen. I have no doubt that our normal trade relations with Russia will soon be restored. The market will tell. But these will be economic relations of a different quality, without a dangerous political component, without political blackmail and attempts to drag us into modern slavery," Tymoshenko said in an interview with the Ukrainska Pravda online newspaper.