Candidate countries for EU membership join Anti-Russian sanctions

Four countries collaborating with European Union have extended sanctions against Crimea following EU, according to the head of European diplomacy Federica Mogherini. Sanctions prolonged for six months more, TASS reports.

The sanctions were extended by the candidate countries for the EU – Montenegro and Albania. Norway supported this decision too being a member of the European Free Trade Association and the European Economic Area. Ukraine also joined the decision.

As per the statement, the European Union welcomes such obligations.

It should be reminded that the European Union has made the decision to extend anti-Russian sanctions for another half of year. All leaders of the European countries agreed on this at the summit held in the capital of Belgium. As President of the European Council Donald Tusk has explained, Russia does not stick to Minsk agreements “sufficiently”. French President Emmanuel Macron and Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel taking part in the Normandy format recommended to extend the sanctions.

Earlier, the leader of the Russian diplomacy has expressed his regrets that European partners are intending to excuse themselves with such a dubious statement: they will lift sanctions in case Russia fulfills Minsk agreements. Sergey Lavrov advised European Union to read the text of Minsk agreements one more time. He has underlined that this document states what should be fulfilled and who is in charge of it very clearly.

Russkiy Mir