The leaders of the EU countries at the summit in Brussels unanimously decided to extend the economic sectoral sanctions against the Russian Federation for six months.
“The leaders of the 27 EU countries have unanimously decided to extend economic sanctions against Russia. We call on Russia to fulfill its part of the deal and fulfill the Minsk agreements, ”said Charles Michel, head of the European Council, at a press conference following the Brussels summit.
He explained that in case of aggression against Ukraine, Russia will face "large-scale consequences and a high price for this aggression. However, Michel and the head of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen could not answer the question of what exactly the EU was going to do.
Moscow has repeatedly stressed that the conflict in Donbass is an internal Ukrainian conflict, and Russia, along with the OSCE, France, and Germany, only mediates its settlement within the framework of the Minsk agreements.
Recall that in 2014, the European Union imposed restrictions against the Russian Federation against the backdrop of events in eastern Ukraine and the reunification of Crimea with Russia. The sanctions have been expanded and extended more than once. In addition, negotiations on a visa-free regime between the Russian Federation and the EU were suspended, as well as on a new basic agreement on cooperation, a ban was introduced on entry to European Union countries for Russian officials and their assets were frozen. Trade, financial and military restrictions were introduced. In response, Moscow has banned the import of some food products from EU countries.