Ambassadors agreed the decision in principle and it will now go to ministers for formal approval, possibly on Friday, according to sources in Brussels.
Advertisement
Although the European Union is generally expected to okay the extension of sanctions against Russia on June 28, its summit provides an option of a short-notice postponing of the sanctions vote, on the basis of new Russian or Franco-German proposals coming out of the “Normandy process”.
Sanctions that affect the energy, financial, and defense sectors of Russia’s economy were imposed on the country over its annexation of Crimea and involvement in the separatist war in eastern Ukraine.
Unanimity is required to prolong the sanctions and Moscow has sought to exploit…
The European Commission issued a press release last week reporting that the sanctions for the annexation of the Crimea and Sevastopol will be extended by one year.
French President Francois Hollande said Tuesday that sanctions would be maintained for now, but could be gradually lifted if further progress is made on a peace deal for Ukraine.
More movement on implementing the Minsk peace accords to end the conflict would certainly help Russia’s case.
The first is that he is playing good cop to Merkel’s bad cop, and that the hardline German stance on sanctions is unlikely to change substantially.
EU’s decision to extend sanctions on Russian Federation is “total folly”, an American expert says, adding the measure is not in the interests of Europe.
The bloc’s ministers have yet to formally approve the six-month rollover but diplomats said there was no doubt they would. Tomorrow, the European Union member states will meet to discuss the next step.
Tuesday’s approved sanctions were initially imposed following the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 in July 2014, an attack blamed on pro-Russia rebels in eastern Ukraine.
Jones said President Vladimir Putin’s measures to defend Russia’s integrity and sovereignty in response to NATO’s military buildup on East European borders are “absolutely lawful”.
Advertisement
The EU is Russia’s main trading partner, accounting for 44.8 percent of Russia’s foreign trade past year.
