Barack Obama
European leaders and U.S. President Barack Obama will discuss on Friday, November 18, the question of extending sanctions against Russia over its “intervention” in Ukrainian Affairs and possible new sanctions for bombing in Syria. About it reports Reuters, citing a number of sources.
Meeting in Berlin organised by Chancellor Angela Merkel, will take place a few days after the victory of Republican Donald trump for President in America. It will also be attended by the leaders of Britain, France, Italy and Spain.
The German official said that the agenda of the meeting envisages negotiation in the coming weeks, the issue of extending sanctions of the EU against Russia, which expire at the end of January 2017.
“We are in a very critical situation,” said the German official. “We must prevent a situation where EU prolongs sanctions, and then the new US President comes in and removes them,” he explained.
At the moment, in connection with the victory trump, proposed in favor of normalization of relations with Russia, European leaders there is a fear that Washington’s policy after the accession of a Republican in office January 20, will differ from the policies of the Obama administration.
In this regard, as noted, Europe is waiting for clarity from Obama, who met with trump in the White house last week.
The arrival of Obama, who visited Greece before, in Berlin scheduled for Wednesday evening, November 16.
Earlier, the head of European diplomacy Federica Mogherini stated that the EU does not intend to change its position on Russia, even if the US will change his point of view in this matter.
1 July, the EU extended economic sanctions against Russia until 31 January 2017. On the same day, Prime Minister of Russia Dmitry Medvedev signed a decree on extension of counter-sanctions on August 6, 2016 to December 31, 2017.
A number of countries, including the USA and member States of the European Union has imposed restrictive measures against Russia in 2014 by associating them with the entry of the Crimea into the Russian Federation, and then the conflict in the South-East of Ukraine. In response, Moscow August 6, 2014, imposed an embargo on the import of products from these countries.