EU may extend Russia sanctions on June 22 –newspaper

EU officials are looking to take a decision to extend economic sanctions on Russia at a foreign ministers’ meeting in Luxembourg on June 22 — and they may not even debate the matter, The Wall Street Journal has reported.

There was a growing consensus within the bloc to roll over the whole package of economic sanctions, which expire in late July, for six months until the end of January, 2016.

Initially, it seemed that EU leaders would take a decision on sanctions at their summit in Brussels on June 25-26. However it now appears likely that the decision will be made at a meeting of EU foreign ministers on June 22, without debate.

While the format has not yet been set, several diplomats said last week that the leading option is that foreign ministers would sign off the sanctions extension as a so-called “A item” at the Foreign Affairs Council in Luxembourg.

Ambassadors from EU countries will discuss next week how the decision should be taken – and if ministers will need to weigh in. Only if senior officials from all 28 member states agree can the decision be made an A-item.

EU officials and diplomats are keen to avoid a debate on Russian sanctions at the EU leaders’ summit. The agenda for that meeting is already packed.

President of the European Council Donald Tusk previously said that the decision to extend EU sanctions against Russia could be made by late June.