The European Union has extended sanctions against Russia for a year over its annexation of Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula in 2014.
Crimea declared independence from Ukraine on March 17, 2014 and formally applied to become part of Russia following a referendum, in which the majority of people voted to separate from Ukraine and reunite with Russia.
The EU, however, considers the development as an illegal “annexation” and has imposed a raft of economic sanctions on Russia.
The sanctions will now last upto June 23, 2018, and apply to EU citizens and companies. They ban the import of products from Crimea and Sevastopol, halt any European investment or real estate purchases and stop cruise ships from stopping there.
The measures also ban the export of some goods and technologies that could be used for transport, telecommunications or in the energy sector particularly oil, gas or mineral exploration.
EU extended sanctions amid concerns that the so-called Minsk peace process between Russia and Ukraine is currently dead-locked.
The 28-nation bloc EU, remains committed to fully implement its non- recognition policy of Russia’s seizure of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol.