A high-ranking source in the European Union told December 12 that the EU plans to extend economic sanctions against Russia. "During the working dinner, we expect that Chancellor Angela Merkel and President Emmanuel Macron of France will report on the situation with the implementation of the Minsk Agreements. This will allow to extend sanctions after the summit at the technical level, "the RIA Novosti news agency quoted the representative of the EU, who wished to remain anonymous.
He added that the restrictions will be extended for six months, a decision will be announced on December 14. Anti-Russian sanctions adopted by the European Union end at the end of January 2018. Moscow has repeatedly stated that it is not a side of the intra-Ukrainian conflict and stressed that the restrictions imposed on Russia are counterproductive. Experts believe that the sanctions imposed against Russia in 2014 did not just not achieve the goal, but also caused serious damage to the countries that introduced them.