Another set of EU sanctions on Russia is to be enforced on February 16.
Thursday’s EU summit affirmed plans to put 19 more Russians and nine organisations on a blacklist on Feb. 16, despite objections by a handful of leaders. Currently 132 people and 28 organisations are on the list, which bars them from traveling to the EU or accessing European bank accounts.
Earlier this week ahead of the reconciliation talks in Minsk, the foreign ministers of the European Union postponed the implementation of the new round of sanction until February 16 in order to give diplomacy a chance.
The European Union may impose further sanctions if a ceasefire deal sealed in Minsk between Ukraine and Russian-backed militants is not fully implemented, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande said after an EU summit in Brussels.
“We hold open the possibility, if these new agreements are not implemented, that we must take further measures,” she said, adding that existing sanctions could only be lifted when the grounds that led to them are removed.
