Economics
Merkel Backs Extension of Russia Sanctions as U.S. Weighs Thaw
- France’s Hollande backs Merkel as EU seeks 6-month extension
- European leaders meet this week ahead of extension deadline
Angela Merkel
Photographer: Krisztian Bocsi/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande backed extending economic sanctions against Russia, citing a lack of progress on ending the armed conflict in eastern Ukraine.
As President-elect Donald Trump proposes Exxon Mobil Corp. Chief Executive Officer Rex Tillerson for U.S. secretary of state, the push by the European Union’s two biggest economies to keep EU penalties on Russia for another six months signals a divergence. Tillerson has questioned whether sanctions work.