EU extends sanctions on Russia for another year

BRUSSELS (AA): The EU on Thursday agreed to extend by another year sanctions on Russia in response to its illegal annexation of Crimea.

“The measures apply to EU persons and EU based companies. They are limited to the territory of Crimea and Sevastopol,” the EU said in a statement.

The economic sanctions targeting specific sectors of the Russian economy will be in place through June 23, 2020.

The sanctions include prohibitions on imports of products originating in Crimea or Sevastopol into the EU, exports of certain goods and technologies to Crimean companies or for use in Crimea in various sectors, investment in Crimea or Sevastopol, and tourism services in Crimea or Sevastopol.

The sanctions were extended in response to the “deliberate destabilization of Ukraine” by Russia.

The EU first agreed to impose economic sanctions against Russia in 2014 over Russia’s role in the Ukraine conflict.

Ukraine has been wracked by conflict since March 2014 following Russia’s annexation of Crimea after an illegal independence vote.

The UN General Assembly voted to proclaim the Russian annexation illegal.

Russia’s annexation led Western powers, including the U.S., to impose sanctions against Moscow.

Along with the UN General Assembly, the U.S., EU, and Turkey do not recognize Crimea as Russian territory.