EU to extend Russia sanctions

EU member states agreed yesterday to extend damaging economic sanctions against Russia over the Ukraine crisis by another six months to the end of January 2016, European sources said, reports AFP from Brussels.
Ambassadors from the 28 European Union nations reached a "consensus" on the legal text extending the sanctions from July, which is expected to be submitted for formal approval by EU foreign ministers on Monday, the sources said.
The EU imposed the sanctions targeting Russia's banks, oil and defence sectors after Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was shot down over rebel-held eastern Ukraine in July 2014.
EU leaders agreed in principle in March to roll those sanctions over, linking them directly to Russia's full implementation of a February ceasefire brokered by France and Germany in Minsk that runs to the end of this year.
EU sources said extending the sanctions to January 2016 means the bloc will have a full month after the Minsk accord expires to review the situation in eastern Ukraine, where pro-Moscow rebels have seized control of large areas.
They said EU foreign ministers will likely approve the text Monday without discussion, with EU leaders meeting Thursday and Friday when a formal announcement is expected.
Since the Ukraine crisis broke in late 2013, the EU has progressively imposed asset freezes and travel bans on leading rebel and Russian figures for their roles in a conflict which has cost more than 6,400 lives.
The decision to impose economic sanctions was much more controversial and painful, with certain member states such as Italy and Germany having particularly important trade and political ties with Moscow. The shooting down of flight MH17, however, made those bilateral considerations secondary to strong collective reaction.
Meanwhile, a top Kremlin aide said yesterday Russia does not want to enter a costly new arms race with the United States, after President Vladimir Putin said it was boosting its nuclear arsenal.
“Russia is trying to react to possible threats with some sort of means but that’s it,” Yury Ushakov, Putin’s top foreign policy aide, told a briefing.
“We are against any arms race because it naturally weakens our economic capabilities,” Ushakov said.
“In principle we are against it.”
He declined to comment when asked about the possibility of a direct military conflict between Russia and the West.
Putin on Tuesday rattled the West by saying that Russia would add more than 40 new intercontinental ballistic missiles to its nuclear arsenal this year.
“If someone puts some of our territories under threat, that means we will have to direct our armed forces and modern strike power at those territories, from where the threat emanates,” Putin said.
US Secretary of State John Kerry blasted the announcement and said nobody wanted to return to a “Cold War status”.
Russia and the West are currently locked in their worst standoff since the collapse of the Soviet Union because of the conflict in Ukraine.
Moscow has lashed out at reported US plans to deploy heavy weapons to its jittery NATO allies in eastern Europe, with Putin saying that the US-led alliance is “coming to our borders”.

EU to extend Russia sanctions

EU member states agreed yesterday to extend damaging economic sanctions against Russia over the Ukraine crisis by another six months to the end of January 2016, European sources said, reports AFP from Brussels. Ambassadors from the 28 European Union nations reached a consensus on the legal text extending the sanctions from July, which is expected to be submitted for formal approval by EU foreign ministers on Monday, the sources said. The EU imposed the sanctions targeting Russias banks, oil and defence sectors after Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was shot down over rebel-held eastern Ukraine in July 2014. EU leaders agreed in principle in March to roll those sanctions over, linking them directly to Russias full implementation of a February ceasefire brokered by France and Germany in Minsk that runs to the end of this year. EU sources said extending the sanctions to January 2016 means the bloc will have a full month after the Minsk accord expires to review the situation in eastern Ukraine, where pro-Moscow rebels have seized control of large areas. They said EU foreign ministers will likely approve the text Monday without discussion, with EU leaders meeting Thursday and Friday when a formal announcement is expected. Since the Ukraine crisis broke in late 2013, the EU has progressively imposed asset freezes and travel bans on leading rebel and Russian figures for their roles in a conflict which has cost more than 6,400 lives. The decision to impose economic sanctions was much more controversial and painful, with certain member states such as Italy and Germany having particularly important trade and political ties with Moscow. The shooting down of flight MH17, however, made those bilateral considerations secondary to strong collective reaction. Meanwhile, a top Kremlin aide said yesterday Russia does not want to enter a costly new arms race with the United States, after President Vladimir Putin said it was boosting its nuclear arsenal. Russia is trying to react to possible threats with some sort of means but thats it, Yury Ushakov, Putins top foreign policy aide, told a briefing. We are against any arms race because it naturally weakens our economic capabilities, Ushakov said. In principle we are against it. He declined to comment when asked about the possibility of a direct military conflict between Russia and the West. Putin on Tuesday rattled the West by saying that Russia would add more than 40 new intercontinental ballistic missiles to its nuclear arsenal this year. If someone puts some of our territories under threat, that means we will have to direct our armed forces and modern strike power at those territories, from where the threat emanates, Putin said. US Secretary of State John Kerry blasted the announcement and said nobody wanted to return to a Cold War status. Russia and the West are currently locked in their worst standoff since the collapse of the Soviet Union because of the conflict in Ukraine. Moscow has lashed out at reported US plans to deploy heavy weapons to its jittery NATO allies in eastern Europe, with Putin saying that the US-led alliance is coming to our borders.