BERLIN (Sputnik) — The European Council meeting scheduled for June 22-23 is expected to result in the prolongation of the EU economic sanctions against Russia, a source in the German government said Wednesday.
"I assume that the prolongation will take place," the source told reporters.
The bloc initially introduced the economic sanctions targeting the specific sectors of the Russian economy in July 2014 over Russia's alleged interference in the conflict in Ukraine's eastern Donbas region between Kiev forces and local residents, who had refused to recognize the government installed in the country in 2014, following what many consider to be a coup. Russia has repeatedly denied its involvement in the Ukraine crisis.
In December 2016, the Council of the European Union prolonged the economic sanctions until July 31, 2017.