BRUSSELS, March 13. /TASS/. The EU Council has officially extended the sanctions against 150 individuals, 37 entities from Russia and militias in Ukraine until September, the press service of the Council said on Friday.
"The asset freeze and travel bans against 150 persons and 37 entities have been extended for a further 6 months, that is until 15 September 2015. This decision gives legal effect to a political decision taken at the Foreign Affairs Council on 29 January 2015," the statement says.
- Decision on extending EU sectoral sanctions against Russia may be postponed until June
- Softening of EU sanctions expected by Russian Direct Investment Fund in 2015
- US imposes sanctions against Ukraine’s ex-PM, Russian political analyst, 12 individuals
- Moscow disappointed by expansion of Swiss sanctions on Russia — Foreign Ministry
- Russia will not ask EU to lift sanctions — Lavrov
The legal acts will be published in the EU Official Journal on March 14.
The EU restrictive measures have been prolonged against those who acted against "Ukraine’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence," the press service said.
Earlier on Friday, a European diplomatic source in Brussels told TASS that the EU is not discussing in practice the possibility of introducing new economic sanctions against Russia as the Minsk agreements are being fulfilled.
"The issue of imposing new sectoral restriction measures on Russia is not being discussed in practice as the Minsk agreements are being fulfilled and there is hope for restoring peace in eastern Ukraine," the diplomat stressed.
If these terms are observed, this issue will not be considered at the EU foreign ministers’ meeting on March 16 and the EU Council meeting on March 19-20.
In late January, the foreign ministers of 28 EU member-states at an urgent meeting on the Ukrainian crisis decided to extend the targeted sanctions against individuals and entities of Russia and Ukrainian militias saying they were responsible for the conflict in the country.
