EU Extends Sanctions on Ukrainians for Year Over State Budget Mismanagement

The European Union has extended sanctions against 16 Ukrainian officials for one more year over the mismanagement of the country’s state budget, the European Council said in a statement Friday.

BRUSSELS (Sputnik) – On Wednesday, a source told RIA Novosti that the European Union is planning to extend sanctions against citizens and legal entities of east Ukraine and Russia expiring on March 15, for another six months.

"On 4 March 2016, the Council extended by one year asset freezes against 16 people identified as responsible for the misappropriation of Ukrainian state funds or for the abuse of office causing a loss to Ukrainian public funds," the statement reads.

The council added that one person had been crossed off the list of people subject to EU restrictive measures, which were initially introduced in March 2014 and extended in March 2015.

In September 2015, the European Union extended for six months individual sanctions aimed at counteracting what it deemed threats to the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine. The sanctions presuppose freezing of assets and an EU travel ban for 149 individuals and 37 entities, including Russian businessmen and officials, as well as representatives of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk people's republics.