EU officially extends economic sanctions against Russia by 6 months over Ukraine conflict

The European Union extended economic sanctions against Russia, which will expire on January 31, 2020, the EU Council said on Thursday. “Today, the Council prolonged the economic sanctions targeting specific sectors of the Russian economy until 31 July 2020,” according to the statement.

The decision was made in connection with “incomplete implementation” of the Minsk agreements on the settlement of the conflict in eastern Ukraine, the document says.

French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel “updated” the European Council on 12 December on the state of implementation of the Minsk agreements, “to which the decision on maintaining sanctions is linked,” the statement says.

The EU imposed sanctions against Russia in 2014 over the events in Ukraine, and the restrictive measures have been repeatedly extended and expanded ever since.