London Backs Sanctions on Russia - UK Foreign Ministry Official

London supports the EU sanctions against Russia over the country's alleged meddling in the Ukraine conflict, a UK Foreign Ministry official told RIA Novosti on Tuesday, commenting on an EU court ruling on Russia's Rosneft energy company.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Earlier in the day, the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg ruled that the sanctions against certain Russian enterprises, including Rosneft, were valid. The ruling came in response to a UK court request to provide the European Union's legal stance regarding the issue after the restrictions were appealed by the energy company in the United Kingdom.

"The United Kingdom fully supports the EU sanctions in response to Russia's illegal activities in Ukraine. It clearly demonstrates Europe's intent to ensure implementation of the Minsk agreements by Russia, including the termination of providing support from the Russian side to separatists," the official said.

The company said in a statement on Tuesday that it considers the court decision "illegal, groundless and politicized."

Rosneft filed a lawsuit in November 2014 to the High Court of Justice of England and Wales over the implementation of restrictive measures against the company, which were authorized by the Council of the European Union over Russia's actions alleged destabilization of Ukraine.

In January 2015, the High Court of Justice of England and Wales submitted Rosneft's lawsuit to the European Court of Justice, as the British court was not authorized to decide on the validity of EU law. The European Court of Justice launched the case hearings in February 2016.

Kiev launched a special military operation in Ukraine’s southeast in April 2014, after local residents refused to recognize the new Ukrainian authorities. In February 2015, the two sides reached a peace agreement after talks brokered by the leaders of Russia, France, Germany and Ukraine — the so-called Normandy Format — in the Belarusian capital of Minsk. The sides have accused each other of violating the agreement since then.

The European Union, the United States and their allies have introduced several rounds of anti-Russia sanctions over Moscow's alleged involvement in the conflict. Moscow has repeatedly stated that it is not a party to the Ukrainian domestic conflict and is not involved in the events in the region.