BRUSSELS (Sputnik) — The European Union should extend sanctions against Russia due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine as well as Russia's actions in Syria, European Council President Donald Tusk said Monday.
Nothing has changed in Ukraine since EU sanctions were last extended in June and the situation has become even worse due to the escalation of violence in Syria as well, Tusk said at a panel discussion organized by the German Passauer Neue Presse newspaper.
Fighting in Aleppo has recently escalated with the Syrian army and local militia forces having managed to encircle large groups of militants in eastern districts of Aleppo. Government troops began to advance after the September 12 ceasefire collapsed. The United States has accused Russia of failing to prevent the advance, while Russia stressed that the United States failed to fulfill its commitments on separating terrorists from moderate opposition groups.
