The European Union Extends Sanctions Against Russia for Another Six Months

On Friday, December 18, representatives of the European Union extended economic sanctions against Russia for another six months due to its role in the crisis in eastern Ukraine. The EU sanctions target Russia's energy, banking, and defense sectors and are set to last until the end of July 2016. According to Reuters, the extension of the sanctions will take effect on Monday unless a member state of the EU changes its position and protests against this decision. The decision to extend the sanctions was actually made in early December, but some had reservations, including Italy, which argued that Russia should not be punished while it is needed to help resolve the Syrian crisis. Since the conflict in eastern Ukraine began in April 2014, over 900 people have been killed. The EU blames Moscow for these unrests, but Russia denies the accusation. The Ukraine crisis began after popular protests led to the ousting of the Kremlin-backed president, after which Russia annexed Crimea, leading to the largest confrontation between Moscow and the West since the Cold War. Germany and France, two powerful European countries, proposed a plan for reconciliation between Russia and Ukraine, but many provisions of this plan have yet to be implemented. The EU has imposed sanctions on Russia to enforce this plan. According to Reuters, some diplomats have stated that this may be the last time the sanctions against Russia will be extended, as France and other EU members seek to re-engage with Moscow to combat terrorism and end the civil war in Syria.