International sanctions during the Ukrainian crisis

Austrian politician sees "NATO, not Russia" as aggressor

VIENNA -- Russia is not the aggressor that has been expanding its military influence toward the EU during the past decades, says Heinz-Christian Strache.

Bulgaria's food industry has suffered an estimated BGN 12 M (EUR 6 M) in damages as a result of Russia's ban on food imports from the EU, Agriculture Minister Desislava Taneva has said.

 EU leaders agreed on March 19 to effectively extend economic sanctions against Russia until the end of 2015, tying them to full implementation of the Minsk ceasefire accords in Ukraine.
      
The sanctions were imposed after the shooting down of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over rebel-held eastern Ukraine in July 2014, and were due to expire after a year.
      

The leaders of the EU decided at their summit on Thursday to maintain the economic sanctions against Russia until the end of the year.

In a joint statement, they agreed to link the sanctions to the complete implementation of the Minsk ceasefire agreements, which had been agreed in February.

U.S. ambassador: We were right to impose sanctions on Serbia

BELGRADE -- U.S. Ambassador to Serbia Michael Kirby has said that there was "pressure" on Serbia to join western sanctions against Russia.

But that does not mean that something must be done, he remarked during an interview for the N1 broadcaster.

"No easing of sanctions until Minsk deal is implemented"

WASHINGTON -- U.S. President Barack Obama and German chancellor Angela Merkel discussed the situation in Ukraine by telephone on Thursday.

They "stressed they would keep up sanctions on Russia over its role in the crisis."

BELGRADE - U.S. Ambassador to Serbia Michel Kirby has said that it has been discussed that Serbia should introduce sanctions against Russia, but this does not mean that something like that needs to be done.

This pressure means that we have talked about this, but this is not the same as when you have to do something. This does not mean an automatic and intense pressure, Kirby said.

European Union (EU) leaders are unlikely to reach an agreement on the prolongation of economic sanctions against Russia at their forthcoming summit next week.

The current sanctions, which are expiring in July, are not likely to be extended as long as the Minsk ceasefire in eastern Ukraine is observed, EurActiv reports.

There is no ground for the EU to expand its sanctions against Russia over Ukraine as the latest Minsk truce holds, Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo said on Tuesday.

Mourners for slain Russian opposition leader Boris Nemtsov prepared to gather for his funeral in Moscow on March 3, as Polish and Latvian officials said they had been barred from entering Russia on the eve of the ceremony in retaliation for EU sanctions over Ukraine.