EU prolongs Russian economic sanctions for six months

U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter views an exhibit at the Holocaust Memorial in Berlin, Germany, Monday, June 22, 2015. Carter, who is attending his first NATO meeting as defense secretary this week, said that the U.S. and NATO need to have a “strong but balanced” approach to deter Russia’s military actions but at the same time needing Moscow to fight terrorism and hammer out a nuclear agreement with Iran. AP

LUXEMBOURG, Luxembourg – EU foreign ministers formally agreed Monday to prolong to January 2016 damaging economic sanctions against Russia to ensure it fully implements Ukraine peace accords, officials said.

“EU has extended economic sanctions against Russia until 31 January 2016, with a view to complete implementation of (the) Minsk agreement,” an EU spokeswoman said in a tweeted message.

The 28-nation bloc hit Russia’s banking, oil and defence sectors with punitive measures after Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was shot down in July last year over territory held by pro-Moscow rebels.

Up to that point, many EU members had been reluctant to adopt full-scale economic sanctions, agreeing only to travel bans and asset freezes against Russian and Ukrainian figures.

Those reservations remain but as the crisis has deepened, the EU has stuck with the tougher sanctions.

It has also warned, alongside the United States, that more could follow unless Moscow withdraws support for the rebels and use its influence with them to implement a ceasefire accord signed in the Belarus capital Minsk in February.