MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The European Parliament has made the informal decision to prolong the EU sanctions against Russia, the chair of the European Parliament Foreign Affairs Committee said Friday.
Speaking at the Russian State Duma, Elmar Brok said that the decision would be formally declared. According to Brok, the decision to prolong anti-Russian sanctions is connected with the failure to implement Minsk agreements.
Relations between Russia and the European Union deteriorated in 2014 over Crimea's reunification with Russia and Moscow's alleged involvement into the escalation of the crisis in eastern Ukraine. The West imposed several rounds of sanctions on Russia's energy, banking and defense industries.
In response to the Western restrictive measures, Russia announced a one-year food embargo on products originating in states that imposed sanctions, in August 2014. The ban has since been extended for another year. The EU economic sanctions are due to expire on January 31, if the bloc does not extend the measures.