The European Union (EU) agreed to extend for another six months the political, commercial and military sanctions against Russia , maturing on January 31 for their involvement in the separatist conflict in eastern Ukraine .
the EU imposed in July 2014 a series of sanctions on Moscow to consider supporting with money, arms and men to Ukrainian separatists since April this year faced with Kiev over control of two provinces of eastern DRC, bordering with Russia.
the decision to extend such penalty was agreed today by the ambassadors of the 28 Member States and will be officially ratified by the EU Council on Monday through a written procedure, the news agency EFE reported.
the President of the European Council Donald Tusk, had proposed that EU ambassadors adopt this measure, which is why it was not addressed in the leaders' summit which concluded today in Brussels.
the European Council linked in March the duration of restrictions on the full implementation of the peace accords Minsk between Kiev and pro-Russian rebels who control the east of the former Soviet republic measures.
These agreements include inter alia a ceasefire, the withdrawal of heavy weapons and return of the management of the eastern border to Kiev.
Sources diplomatic community said if the assessment of the situation is positive for the next European summit in March, leaders could then lift the sanctions, which were already extended for the first time last June.
Specifically, sanctions prevent individuals or European companies buy or sell new bonds, stocks or similar financial instruments with a maturity . more than 30 days and were issued by five major Russian state banks, their subsidiaries outside the EU or persons acting on its behalf or under its control
These Russian banks are Sberbank, VTB Bank, Gazprombank , Vnesheconombank (VEB) and Rosselkhozbank. the same principle to stocks or bonds issued by three major energy companies and three companies of Russian defense would apply.
The measures also nixed services related to the issuance of these instruments and brokerage, and banned individuals or European companies provide loans to these five major Russian state banks.
also imposed an embargo on the import and export of arms and related materiel to and from Russia and the ban on the export of goods . dual use (civil or military)
Source: Telam