BRUSSELS: The European Union (EU) decided to prolong its penalties on Russia regarding the conflict in Ukraine for an additional half-year on Friday, as it contemplates fresh actions against Moscow.
The sanctions, initially implemented when Moscow annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, were notably escalated after the initiation of the full-scale invasion in February.
They have been consistently extended for six-month intervals over the last eight years. The EU has imposed nine rounds of sanctions on Moscow since it launched a major cross-border offensive last year.
The measures have included striking Russia’s crucial oil exports, disconnecting its banks from the SWIFT global payment system, and targeting President Vladimir Putin specifically.
Certain eastern European nations had sought to extend the sanctions by one year this time to secure the punishment for a longer duration.
