(Bloomberg) -- Ecuador plans to reverse a decision to swap decades-old Russian-made weaponry with the US, Moscow’s ambassador to the country, Vladimir Sprinchan, told the state-run news agency RIA Novosti.

Sprinchan said he discussed bilateral relations, including “some of the complications” between the two countries, on Friday with Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa. 

Noboa said the South American country can’t allow itself to be drawn into Russia-Ukraine conflict, according to Sprinchan. 

Ecuador in January said it had agreed to receive $200 million in US weapons in exchange for “scrap” Russian arms dating from the 1990s, which Washington intends to ship to Ukraine. Russia called the plan “reckless.” 

Read more: Ecuador’s Noboa Says US Preparing Aid Package Amid Emergency

A decision to cancel the deal might be announced by Ecuador early next week, Sprinchan said. Ecuador’s presidency on Saturday confirmed that Noboa had discussed ties and potential future bilateral projects with Sprinchan but didn’t comment on the status of the weapons exchange. 

Russia partially banned banana imports from Ecuador earlier in February, but its agriculture and food safety watchdog reported on Friday that it had lifted a ban on five Ecuadorian exporters. 

Read more: Russia Blinks on Banana Ban as Ecuador Swaps Weaponry With US

In 2022 Russia imported nearly all its bananas from Ecuador, and the move threatened to create a banana shortage and a spike in prices. 

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