European Council prolongs econ sanctions vs Russia until July 31

BRUSSELS, Dec 21 (PRIME) -- The European Council has prolonged economic sanctions against Russia for six months until July 31, 2019, the authority said in a statement on Friday.

In 2014, relations between Russia and the West deteriorated to their worse since the Cold War due to a military conflict in Ukraine. The West introduced sanctions against some Russian individuals and firms and further against the energy and banking sectors. In response, Russia prohibited food imports from some countries, including the U.S., the E.U., Canada, Australia, and Norway.

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