On late Thursday, a diplomatic source told Sputnik that leaders of the EU member states had decided to extend the sanctions for six months.
"Concerning Russia and Ukraine, we listened to the report prepared by France and Germany after the Normandy-format summit in Paris [held on December 9]. This was an opportunity to exchange opinions on the situation in the region and decide to prolong the sanctions for six months," Michel told reporters following the EU Summit.
He also stressed the need to implement the Minsk agreements on settling the conflict in the eastern Ukrainian region of Donbass.
The Normandy format talks, which include Russia, Germany, France and Ukraine, held in Paris on 9 December, were the first talks in this format since October 2016. The implementation of peace agreements regarding the settlement in eastern Ukraine’s Donbass region topped the agenda at the Normandy Four talks.
