European Union leaders agreed at a summit in Brussels today to extend economic sanctions against Russia over the conflict in Ukraine for a further six months.
The sanctions target whole sectors of the Russian economy including its oil businesses. The leaders made the decision after a very short discussion on Ukraine, Russia and the Minsk peace process.
In a summit statement, the EU leaders also reiterated their full support for a UN resolution on MH17 and called on Russia to accept its responsibility and fully cooperate with all efforts to establish truth, justice and accountability.
The EU first imposed the sanctions after Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was shot down over Ukraine in July 2014 killing 298 people, an attack blamed by the EU on pro-Russian rebels.
Source: AIR