EU Moves to Extend Russia Sanctions over Ukraine

Foreign Minister of Luxembourg Jean Asselborn (L) chats with High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini at the start of an extraordinary meeting of the European Foreign Affairs Council, in Brussels, Belgium, 2

European Union foreign ministers agreed Thursday to extend existing sanctions against Russia by six months until September.

At an extraordinary meeting in Brussels, they agreed to discuss names to be added to the list of individuals affected by EU travel bans and asset freezes.

The new list is to be ready next week and to be conclusively approved at the next foreign ministers’ meeting on February 9, according to the EU’s foreign policy coordinator, Federica Mogherini, as cited by Deutsche Welle.

The restrictions currently affect 132 people and 28 entities.

EU foreign ministers failed to reach agreement on imposing new economic sanctions against Russia.

Thursday's meeting was called over the recent surge in violence in the region, including a rocket attack on the port of Mariupol last week that killed about 30 civilians.

The Ukrainian government blamed Russian-backed separatists for the Mariupol attack.

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