BRUSSELS (TASS ): The heads of state and government of the European Union at the last EU summit this year on December 16-17 will make a political decision to extend by six months the economic sanctions against Russia, which are tied to the implementation of the Minsk agreements to resolve the conflict in Ukraine. The introduction of new restrictive measures against Moscow is currently not under discussion. The TASS correspondent was informed about this on Wednesday by a source in the delegation of one of the countries of the community in the Council of the EU.
“The issue of the implementation of the Minsk agreements will be touched upon, in the context of which the leaders are expected to give a green signal to extend economic sanctions for six months, since, as you understand, we do not see progress. Rather, on the contrary, the situation is heating up,” he said. According to the diplomat, in the coming weeks after the summit, Brussels will formally issue a decision on the extension of the sanctions, which will then be published in the Official Journal of the EU and come into force. The measures will expire on January 31st.
When asked whether new restrictive measures against Russia are being discussed and whether such an issue is on the agenda of the EU summit, the diplomat replied:
“Yes, there is an understanding of such a possibility in the event of a worsening of the situation, but currently there are no specific proposals on the table. the introduction of new sanctions is not on the agenda now.”
Earlier, the head of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen said that the EU would be ready to expand sanctions against Russia “in the event of aggression against Ukraine.” Recently, in Western countries, as well as in Kiev, allegations have been made about a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The press secretary of the Russian president Dmitry Peskov called such information empty and groundless escalation of tension.
He stressed that Russia poses no threat to anyone. At the same time, Peskov did not rule out the likelihood of provocations to justify such statements, and warned that attempts to resolve the crisis in southeastern Ukraine by force would have the most serious consequences.
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