The Economic and Financial Affairs Council of the European Union (ECOFIN) that is to held a meeting on Friday in Luxemburg will extend sanctions in response to the illegal annexation of Crimea without discussion.

This is stipulated in the materials to the meeting of ECOFIN where the issue of amending the decision of the EU Council on restrictive measures against Russia in response to the illegal annexation of Crimea and deliberate destabilisation of a neighbouring sovereign country was put as a so-called "A item," which are passed without discussion by ministers participating in the meeting.

The item was agreed on June 17 at a meeting of the Permanent Representatives Committee in the European Union (COREPER).