BRUSSELS, December 13. /TASS/. The heads of states and governments of the European Union made a political decision at the EU summit in Brussels to extend for six months the economic sanctions against Russia, which expire on January 31, head of the European Council Donald Tusk announced on Thursday.
"The EU unanimously prolongs economic sanctions against Russia given zero progress in implementation of Minsk agreements," Tusk said.
"As usual, the sanctions are extended by half a year. This is a political decision. Ahead there is a formal procedure that will be done in the coming weeks," a source in the margins of the summit told TASS.
The source added that after the completion of the formal procedure, the decision will be published in the Official Journal of the EU and will enter into force.
The economic sanctions against Russia were imposed in July 2014, after the Malaysian Boeing operating the flight MH17 crashed in Donbass (east of Ukraine). Since then, the sanctions were renewed every six months. In March 2015, the EU summit decided that sanctions could be lifted only after the implementation of the Minsk agreements.
However, the EU countries completely ignore Kiev's sabotage of their obligations under these agreements and do not consider any responsibility for this.