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German Cabinet expects extension of sanctions against Russia at EU summit, says source

The EU summit is scheduled to December 12-13

BERLIN, December 11. /TASS/. The German Cabinet expects that the EU summit to be opened on Thursday will make a decision to extend sanctions against Russia, a source in the Cabinet told reporters on Wednesday.

"I assume they will be extended," the source said.

Heads of states and governments of the European Union will make a political decision to extend economic sanctions against Russia for six months, a high-ranking EU spokesperson said on the verge of the EU summit scheduled to December 12-13.

Following the developments in Ukraine and Crimea’s reunification with Russia in 2014, the European Union imposed a package of anti-Russian sanctions and suspended talks on visa-free travel and a new framework agreement on cooperation. It banned a number of Russian officials from entering the European Union and froze their assets. Apart from that, trade, financial and military restrictions were introduced. The sanctions have been extended and expanded more than once. The current package of economic sanctions expires on January 31, 2020.