Russia is considering a ban on flower shipments from the Netherlands, saying they contain pests which pose a ‘serious danger’ to the country’s economy and farming, Russian and international media reported on Tuesday evening.

Russia’s agricultural agency Rosselkhoznadzor said officials are almost certain to halt flower shipments.

‘If imposed, the ban could affect not only this country but also our other partners that deliver flowers to Russia via the Netherlands,’ the organisation is quoted as saying by Russian legal information website Rapsi.

The proposed ban follows Dutch calls for an international tribunal to prosecute people suspected of shooting down Flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine last year.

Dutch farming organisation LTO Nederlands told news agency Bloomberg the ban may be related to the investigation into the disaster.

Dutch flowers meet the standards for plant health, spokesman Maarten Leseman said, adding that talk of pests is ‘just an excuse for the Russian government to ban flowers’.

According to Russia’s Federal Customs Service, Russia imported 30,700 tons of cut flowers and buds from the Netherlands last year, worth some €205m.