Russia Sanctions Said to Be Set for Renewal Amid Impasse
- EU links lifting punitive measures to stalled Minsk peace plan
- Even if truce holds, Donbas conflict is looking more permanent
Pro-Russian separatist soldiers stand on their tank as they drive along a road near the village of Kirovske, in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic.
Photographer: Odd Andersen/AFP/Getty ImagesEuropean Union nations are set to renew sanctions against Russia for six more months amid a stalemate in efforts to decisively end two years of fighting in eastern Ukraine between the army and Russian-backed rebels, six European officials said.
The decision to extend the punitive curbs reflects a continuing consensus among the 28 EU member states that their removal would require full implementation of the February 2015 Minsk peace accord, according to officials from four countries, including those who are less supportive of sanctions. They asked not to be named as the decision isn’t yet final.