UPDATE: EU officially prolongs Russian sanctions for six months

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MOSCOW/BRUSSELS, Dec 21 (PRIME) -- The E.U. has officially confirmed prolongation of anti-Russian sanctions until July 31, 2016, the European Council said in a statement Monday.

The decision was made earlier in the day by subscription after The Committee of Permanent Representatives in the E.U. (Coreper) approved the 6-month prolongation at a meeting on December 18.

Russian State Duma Speaker Sergei Naryshkin said earlier on Monday that the E.U. is still under pressure from the U.S., which wants the union to prolong anti-Russian sanctions against its own interests.

“Washington’s pressure on Europe, the European Union, is obviously going on. The pressure is strong in this respect,” he said, adding that anti-Russian sanctions are harmful for the E.U., including for its sovereignty.

Russian Economic Development Minister Alexei Ulyukayev said earlier that the punishment rollover was an expected move and it will not influence the Russian economy.

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 limited food imports from some countries, including the U.S., the E.U., Canada, Australia, and Norway.

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