EU foreign ministers extend sanctions against Russian officials, E. Ukraine rebels
The first batch of sanctions, which was adopted last year and targeted specific individuals accused of fostering conflict in eastern Ukraine, was set to expire in March. The sanctions included travel bans and economic restrictions.
The EU Council has also requested that the European Commission expand the blacklist of individuals it blames for the escalation of the Ukraine conflict, Mogherini said after a meeting in Brussels on Thursday.
"We have shown that the EU is ready to take further measures and to prepare further measures in the weeks to come if the situation doesn't improve," she said.
The council, however, has refrained from imposing broader economic measures for now.
Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias said that Greece insisted on removing a passage which would have imposed new sanctions on Russia from the draft proposals at the ministers’ meeting. It also insisted that the final communiqué does not put direct blame for the Ukraine conflict on Russia.
German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said the EU would need to send a clear message if the rebels in eastern Ukraine launched a full-blown offensive.
"If there were large military offensives, for example with widespread assaults on Mariupol, a clear reaction would be needed," he told reporters.
The ministers were widely expected to step up sanctions against Russia following mounting pressure after last week’s deadly Mariupol attack. The EU has moved to steadily increase sanctions and restrictions against Moscow since Crimea joined Russia last spring.
Journalist Neil Clark told RT that the lack of extremely harsh measures reveals a division within the EU ranks.
“What we’ve seen tonight is the evidence of a real split. We haven’t had these measures that some people wanted. For example, some of the more anti-Russian elements have been calling for Russia to be banned from the SWIFT banking system.”
US: Russia may face more sanctions
Thu Jan 29, 2015 11:39PM
State Department spokeswoman Psaki says the US “will continue to consider” sanctions against Russia.
The United States warned Russia on Thursday that it could face more sanctions over the ongoing crisis in Ukraine.
The US also welcomed the move by the European Union foreign ministers on Thursday to extend the current sanctions against Russia.
“Certainly, we welcome it; it's a positive step,” State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters.
Psaki said the EU decision "is just a further sign that the actions of the last several days and weeks are absolutely unacceptable and that there will be new consequences put in place".
"We'll continue to consider others that we could add,” she added.
The EU approved embargoes on more Russian individuals and entities over the nine-month conflict in eastern Ukraine. The new sanctions include travel bans and asset freezes for six months.
Vice President Joe Biden said Wednesday the costs will continue for Russia as long as it continues its “blatant” intervention in eastern Ukraine.
The United States and the European Union have imposed several rounds of sanctions on Russia.
The US and its allies accuse Moscow of sending troops into eastern Ukraine in support of the pro-Russian forces. Moscow has long denied any involvement in Ukraine's conflict.
The two mainly Russian-speaking regions of Donetsk and Lugansk in eastern Ukraine have been the scene of deadly clashes between pro-Russia protesters and the Ukrainian army since Kiev started military operations in the regions in April 2014 in a bid to crush the protests.
Violence intensified last May after the two regions held local referendums in which their residents voted overwhelmingly in favor of independence from Ukraine and joining the Russian Federation.
AT/AT. PRESS TV