The European Union voted to extend its economic sanctions against Russia for another six months, the EU news officer for foreign affairs, Susanne Kiefer, told international news media Monday.
The sanctions are being maintained until January 31, 2016, “with a view to complete implementation of Minsk agreement,” she wrote on Twitter.
Switzerland is not formally a part of the European Union but is expected to follow its lead on the sanctions against Russia, according to the Russian RT.com news website.
Foreign ministers meeting in Luxembourg decided on sanctions that were originally imposed in response to Russia’s seizure of the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea, and its military support of separatists in eastern Ukraine.
The sanctions include restrictions on lending to major Russian government-owned banks as well as defense and oil firms.
In addition, the EU imposed restrictions on the supply of weapons and military equipment to Russia as well as military technology, dual-use technologies, high-tech equipment and technologies for oil production.
No sanctions have been imposed against Russia’s natural gas industry, however.
In response, Russian presidential spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters that although “It wasn’t Russia who began the restrictive measures in the first place, the Kremlin would answer in kind.
“The policy of sanctions harms not only business activity in Russia but European taxpayers as well,” Peskov said.
Credit to The JewishPress.com
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