BRUSSELS, December 14. /TASS/. EU leaders have given a go-ahead for further extension of economic sanctions against Russia for another six months after the Christmas, a European diplomatic source told TASS after a Brussels summit on Thursday.

The leaders heard a report of German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron, who are members of the Normandy Four format, on the implementation of the Minsk agreements and expressed concern over ongoing hostilities in eastern Ukraine, the diplomat said.

According to the source, the leaders agreed that there are no progress on the Minsk agreements, which implies a go-ahead to the sanctions’ extension. The sanctions, in his words, will be extended under a routine procedure for another six months.

At their regular summit in March 2015, the EU leaders agreed that the anti-Russian sanctions would be lifted only after the Minsk agreements were fully implemented. Ever since, the sanctions have been routinely extended every six months without discussions.