The reason for the EU’s renewed extension of economic sanctions against Russia is because Russia has not fully implemented the Minsk Agreement

Original title: The reason for the EU’s renewed extension of economic sanctions against Russia or Russia’s failure to fully implement the “Minsk Agreement”

On December 14, local time, in Strasbourg, France, Borelli, the EU’s High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy, delivered a speech on the situation in Ukraine. He said the day before that the European Union would send a clear signal to Russia that “any violation of Ukraine will cost Russia a high price,” including tougher economic sanctions. (Visual China)

China Youth Daily Client Beijing, December 17 (China Youth Daily·China Youth Daily reporter Zhao Qi) The European Union has decided to extend its economic sanctions on Russia again. Russia believes that if it wants to ease the situation in eastern Ukraine, exert a positive influence on the Ukrainian government, and encourage the parties to the Minsk Agreement to actively implement the agreement, it may be more effective and more direct than sanctions on Russia.

According to a report by RIA Novosti, the leaders of EU member states held a summit at the EU headquarters in Brussels on December 16, local time. EU Council President Michelle told the outside world that the EU will continue to extend its economic sanctions against Russia until July 2022. The reason is that “Russia has failed to fully implement the Minsk Agreement”. Michel said that the purpose of the EU’s extension of economic sanctions against Russia is to promote Russia to earnestly fulfill its obligations under the framework of the “Minsk Agreement”, so as to promote the situation in Uzbekistan and East Asia to cool down as soon as possible. The European Union will firmly support Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. “If Russia invades Ukraine armed forces, what awaits Russia will be unprecedented severe economic sanctions from the European Union.”

Russia has repeatedly stated that as a participant in the “Normandy Model” meeting, Russia is not a party to the Minsk Agreement, and there is no mention of any Russian obligations within the framework of the Minsk Agreement. For example, the spokesperson of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Zakharova responded in September this year to the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine’s response to Russia’s “ineffective implementation of the Minsk Agreement”. The Kiev authorities, Donetsk and the armed forces of the Lugansk Republic are all binding, but they did not mention any obligations on the Russian side. If the West really wants the situation in eastern Ukraine to turn around as soon as possible, it should exert a positive influence on the Kiev side and encourage the parties to the Minsk Agreement to actively implement the agreement. “This may be more effective and more direct than sanctions on Russia.”

In July 2014, the European Union announced the implementation of one-year economic sanctions against Russia on the grounds of Russia’s “illegal annexation” of Crimea, mainly targeting Russia’s financial, energy, and defense sectors. On the grounds that “the “Minsk Agreement” has not been fully implemented by Russia”, the EU has repeatedly extended sanctions against Russia. Before announcing the renewal of sanctions on the 16th, the EU sanctions against Russia should have expired in January 2022.

Source: China Youth Daily ClientReturn to Sohu to see more