The European Union has formally extended sectoral economic sanctions against Russia for six months. "The EU Council has extended economic sanctions aimed at specific sectors of the Russian economy for six months until January 31st, 2017,'' the statement released by the EU Council informs.
''These measures are related to financial, energy and defense sectors, as well as dual-use goods.'' The decision to extend sanctions was explained by the fact that the Minsk agreement on Ukraine is not fully implemented until December 31st, 2015.
In addition, the EU limits Russia's access to certain strategic importance technologies and services that can be used for the development and production of oil. The decision was formally enters into force on July 2nd.
A correspondent of "Vestnik Kavkaza" interviewed our experts will these sanctions be the last and should we expect a weakening of the sanctions pressure on Russia.
Deputy of World Economy and International Relations, Dean of the HSE Andrey Suzdaltsev told in an interview with our correspondent that he had no feeling that the current sanctions were prolonged for the last time.
"They didn't changed their basic requirements for Russia. Formally, they have concluded these claims in the Minsk Agreement, but the fact is that the Minsk agreement is just a pretext because there is no information about Russia's role. In late February Angela Merkel said that Russia is punished with sanctions for supporting the militia of Donbass and the main demand of the West was to return Crimea to Ukraine. Sanctions will remain in force until Russia is ready to do this. Therefore, we should not wait for their removal,'' the expert believes.
Senior Fellow at the Center for European Studies, IMEMO RAN Vladimir Olenchenko said in an interview with a ‘Vestnik Kavkaza’ correspondent "Vestnik Kavkaza" expressed the the final version of the extension of the anti-Russian sanctions is discussed not for the first time. "We should understand that those countries that were in favor of the extension of sanctions, primarily the United Kingdom, is a member of the EU. As we know, it remains a part of EU, despite the well-known all widely discussed results of the referendum.
Moreover, Poland and the Baltic countries also support the prolongation of sanctions. These are the five countries that are constantly underline that the EU should maintain these sanctions. But there is one nuance that it is necessary to be take into account – they support the preservation of the sanctions, trying implement the current regime as the basis of the working partner relations between Russia and the EU," the expert said.
