Ambassadors – the permanent representatives of European Union member states – after a lengthy discussion, finally decided to extend sanctions for violations of Ukraine's territorial integrity by three years, rather than six months as had been the case previously; "certain individuals" were excluded.
A spokesperson for Ireland, which currently holds the EU Council presidency, announced this to reporters on Tuesday in Brussels following the conclusion of a meeting of the Committee of Permanent Representatives (Coreper).
The spokesperson said that, following completion of the written procedure, the Council was expected to approve the extension of the sanctions regime related to Ukraine's territorial integrity. He said the continuation of the regime had resulted from a complex compromise providing for its extension for 36 months, until September 22, 2029.
The spokesperson stressed that, as a result, restrictive measures under the regime concerning Ukraine's territorial integrity would continue to apply to nearly 3,000 individuals and legal entities, while the possible addition of many others to the sanctions lists was also under consideration. He explained to journalists that the lists had previously been reviewed and assessed every six months and that the decision to extend the regime for 36 months would increase the stability and predictability of the EU sanctions system.
At the same time, a decision was made to remove certain individuals from the sanctions lists under the regime. The spokesperson added that maintaining the regime had been one of the key priorities of the Irish presidency, without specifying either the number or the names of those removed.
Sanctions over violations of Ukraine's territorial integrity, first imposed on March 17, 2014, have traditionally been extended every six months. The most recent decision to extend the sanctions was made on April 23 of this year.
As is well known, sanctions for violations of Ukraine's territorial integrity – which were first imposed on March 17, 2014 – are extended every six months. The most recent decision to extend the sanctions was made on April 23 of this year.
A point of contention arose over Slovakia's demand to remove Russian businessmen Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman from the sanctions lists. Most countries opposed this, while simultaneously proposing to extend the duration of the sanctions from six months to three years. Amid reports that decisions regarding both the Russian individuals subject to sanctions and the duration of the sanctions would be adopted, Latvia issued a categorical objection, echoing Ukraine's position that any easing of the sanctions is unacceptable.
The list includes more than 3,000 individuals and legal entities. Among them are Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, and others.
