EU prolongs Russian economic sanctions for six months
EU foreign ministers formally agreed Monday to prolong to January 2016 damaging economic sanctions against Russia to ensure it fully implements Ukraine peace accords, officials said.
22.06.2015
(AFP) EU
foreign ministers formally agreed Monday to prolong to January 2016
damaging economic sanctions against Russia to ensure it fully implements
Ukraine peace accords, officials said.
"EU has extended economic sanctions against Russia until 31
January 2016, with a view to complete implementation of (the) Minsk
agreement," an EU spokeswoman said in a tweeted message.
The 28-nation bloc initially imposed travel bans and asset
freezes against Russian and Ukrainian figures for their part in the
crisis but reacted sharply after Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was shot
down in July over territory held by pro-Moscow rebels.
Brussels hit Russia's banking, oil and defence sectors hard
and, along with the United States, has warned more sanctions could
follow unless Moscow lives up to its Minsk commitments to withdraw
support for the rebels and use its influence with them to implement the
accord.
In March, EU leaders agreed in principle to roll the
sanctions over by linking them directly to the ceasefire brokered by
France and Germany in Minsk that runs to December this year.
The ceasefire has largely held since then but Kiev and the
rebels swap charges daily over breaches and observers reported a sharp
pick up in fighting earlier this month in a conflict which has claimed
more than 6,400 lives and destroyed much of eastern Ukraine.
The foreign ministers of France, Germany, Ukraine and Russia are due to meet in Paris on Tuesday to review the situation.
The Ukraine crisis has plunged EU and US ties with Russia
into the deep freeze, with some of the exchanges reminiscent of Cold War
tensions.