EU representatives approve decision to prolong sanctions against Russia over Crimea

Permanent representatives of EU member states have approved the prolongations of sanctions against Moscow over Crimea’s reunification with Russia, Bloomberg reported Wednesday, citing its sources.

If the decision is finally approved by the EU, the sanctions will be effective till June 23, 2020. The sanctions were initially imposed on Russia in 2014.

On Monday, TASS reported sources in Brussels as saying that the EU was planning to prolong restrictive measures against Crimea and Sevastopol, expiring on June 23, 2019, for another twelve months.

This decision is not connected with the Russian Foreign Ministry’s move to expand a blacklist of EU officials in retaliation for the EU’s restrictive measures against Russians, the source said.