European Council President Donald Tusk, Angela Merkel and mark Rutte
The EU Council regulation on the extension of economic sanctions against Russia adopted on June 28, was published in the Official journal of the European Union.
According to the legal act, the restrictive measures will apply until 31 January 2018. It is noted that member States of the European Union adopted the decision unanimously.
“March 19, 2015, the European Council decided to link the duration of these sanctions with the full implementation of the Minsk agreements that envisaged by 31 December 2015”, — stated in the text.
In Brussels also explained that extended the restrictive measures, because “the deadline was not met and the Minsk agreement has not yet been fully implemented”.
On 28 June the European Union for six months extended economic sectoral sanctions against Russia.
A number of countries, including the USA and member States of the European Union has imposed restrictive measures against Moscow in 2014, linking them with the annexation of Crimea to Russia, and then the conflict in the South-East of Ukraine. The lifting of sanctions linked to the execution of Moscow signed in February of 2015, the Minsk agreements to stabilize the situation in the Donbass. Russia has repeatedly said that is not a party to the conflict in Ukraine, therefore, the responsibility for the implementation of the provisions lies with the Kiev authorities and militia leaders.