Leaders urge to prolong sanctions on Russia, while no EU state appealed for
By Amina Nazarli
European Union diplomats say EU leaders are more likely to extend economic sanctions against Russia until July 31, 2017.
The last joint European Council summit of the year set to be held on December 15, when the bloc's leaders meet in Brussels will put an end to this issue.
The EU linked the economic sanctions targeting specific sectors of Russia in July 2014 in response to Russia's seizure of Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula and support for the separatists.
The sanctions include restrictions on access to international financing, and curbs on defence and energy cooperation with Russia. Some of the Russian officials were also barred from entering EU countries and the U.S., while their assets were frozen.
In July, the EU prolonged sanctions until January 31, 2017.
French President Francois Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel have been urging EU countries to extend sanctions again, TASS agency reported.
“I believe that EU countries will receive recommendations from Chancellor Merkel and President Hollande that economic sanctions imposed over Russia’s aggression against Ukraine should be extended,” the source said noting that the extension of anti-Russian sanctions was on the EU summit agenda.
Meanwhile, in response to a question on sanctions against Russia over the conflict in Syria EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said that no member state of the EU asked for sanctions against Russia over the situation in Syria at the EU Foreign Affairs Council on December 12.
"No, we didn't discuss at all sanctions, and there was no member state asking for additional work on sanctions," she said.
In turn, at a joint press conference with Russian Foreign Minister on December 12 Sergei Lavrov in Belgrade, Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic said that Serbia will not join NATO or anti-Russian sanctions despite its drive to become a member of the EU, Sputnik reported.
"We will not join sanctions or some other measures against Russia. And, as you know, we have no plans to join NATO…as we conduct the policy of military neutrality."
The Serbian minister stressed that the country's drive to join the EU "has nothing to do with relations with Russia," and cannot be judged as an anti-Russian stance.
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Amina Nazarli is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on
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