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EU leaders likely to extend sanctions against Russia: Mogherini

Tuesday, 15 December 2015 2:36 AM [ Last Update: Tuesday, 15 December 2015 2:36 AM ]

European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini

European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini says the bloc’s leaders are expected to extend sanctions against Russia over Moscow’s alleged role in the Ukraine crisis.

Speaking to reporters following a Monday meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels, Mogherini said anti-Russia sanctions are likely to be extended for six months because the peace agreement between the Ukrainian government and pro-Russia forces in eastern Ukraine is "still far from having a full implementation."

The agreement, known as the Minsk peace deal, is the benchmark set by EU leaders for the sanctions to be lifted.

The deal, which was reached in the Belarusian capital city of Minsk in February, introduced measures such as a ceasefire, the pullout of heavy weapons and constitutional reforms in Ukraine by the end of the year.

"Politically, let me say, the general assessment today was clearly going in the direction of a rollover of sanctions," Mogherini said, adding, "There is a European Council (summit) on Thursday so my factual assessment is that most probably it will be on that agenda."

The current round of sanctions is due to end in January, a month after the deadline for the full implementation of the Minsk agreement, which intends to resolve the standoff between Kiev and pro-Russia forces.

*A resident of the Luhansk region in eastern Ukraine holds wreckage which destroyed his house after an explosion occurred in a military depot, October 30, 2015. (AFP)*

The EU and the US have imposed several sets of economic sanctions against Russia over the conflict in Ukraine since early 2014. Moscow denies any involvement in Ukraine's crisis.

There have been vast divisions in the EU over the economic sanctions against Russia. While eastern EU nations prefer several more years of sanctions, countries with closer ties with Russia, including Cyprus, Italy and Hungary, favor dialog with Moscow.

Last week, Italy said it wants to keep communication channels with Moscow open despite the sanctions.

The fighting between the Ukrainian government troops and the pro-Russia forces in the eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk has left over 9,000 people dead since April 2014. However, tensions have drastically decreased since the signing of the Minsk deal.

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