No fresh Russia sanctions likely in upcoming EU summit: EU presidency
The European Union (EU) member states are unlikely to impose new sanctions on Russia over the conflict in Ukraine at their upcoming summit as long as the peace deal in eastern Ukraine is being respected, the EU presidency says.
Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics, whose country holds the EU presidency, said on Tuesday that he did not expect “a discussion of new sanctions or any decisions” on sanctions during the two-day summit in the Belgian capital city of Brussels, which will begin on Thursday.
“The first elements of the Minsk agreement are being implemented,” Rinkevics stated, referring to the agreement that was reached between the leaders of France, Germany, Russia and Ukraine in the Belarusian capital on February 12 to stop the fighting between the Ukrainian army and pro-Russia forces in eastern Ukraine.
The ceasefire deal has reduced hostilities, but Russia has criticized Kiev for not complying with its pledge to hold local elections in the east.
During peace talks in Minsk on February 11-12, the negotiators agreed on the withdrawal of heavy weapons from Ukraine’s front-lines and a ceasefire, which officially went into effect on February 14.
The warring sides, however, have continued to engage in sporadic clashes, violating the ceasefire on numerous occasions.
Relations between the West and Russia have been strained over the ongoing crisis in Ukraine.
Since March 2014, the US and the EU have imposed several rounds of economic sanctions on Russia after accusing Moscow of being involved in the Ukrainian conflict. Russia has repeatedly denied the accusation.
The two mainly Russian-speaking regions of Donetsk and Luhansk have been hit by deadly clashes between pro-Russians and the Ukrainian army since Kiev launched military operations in April last year to crush pro-Russia protests there.
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