Extended Sanctions

From the BBC:
"Ukraine crisis: EU extends Russia sanctions to 2016"

EU foreign ministers have extended economic sanctions against Russia until the end of January 2016.

The aim is to make Russia comply with the Minsk ceasefire accord signed with Ukraine in February, EU spokeswoman Maja Kocijancic tweeted. EU and US sanctions target associates of President Vladimir Putin and Russian state banks, military and energy firms.   The EU foreign ministers extended the sanctions against Russia at a meeting in Luxembourg on Monday.  A statement said the decision was taken without debate in response to "Russia's destabilising role in eastern Ukraine". Russia condemned the move, warning that it would respond reciprocally. Meanwhile, US Defence Secretary Ash Carter, speaking during a visit to Berlin, Germany, said the sanctions were having an effect in countering Russia's "aggression" in Ukraine. But he added: "We do not seek a cold, let alone a hot war with Russia.  "We do not seek to make Russia an enemy. But make no mistake: we will defend our allies, the rules-based international order, and the positive future it affords us. We will stand up to Russia's actions and their attempts to re-establish a Soviet-era sphere of influence." EU sanctions were imposed on Russia after Moscow's annexation of Crimea in March 2014. They have been escalated because of Russia's role in the conflict in eastern Ukraine. Nato says hundreds of Russian tanks and armoured vehicles have gone into eastern Ukraine, along with regular Russian army soldiers. Under the sanctions regime Russian state banks are excluded from raising long-term loans; exports of dual-use equipment for military use in Russia are banned; and future EU-Russia arms deals are banned.  There is an EU-US ban on exports of some oil industry technology and services, though gas remains unaffected. The sanctions also target many senior officials in Russia and in the separatist leadership, including Crimean leaders, and organisations linked to them.

 

 

^ The sanctions are one step that is needed to show that the world takes what Russia is doing in the Ukraine seriously. I know many Russians see the sanctions as a "badge of honor" or only blame everything on the West and not their own government - which is exactly what happened during Soviet times. I also know that what Russians say when they live inside Russia and what they say when they are outside of Russia tends to differ. I guess they are worried about government reprisals. I still remember when I was living in Russia and watched people cross the street rather than walk in front of a very large, ugly building. I asked someone what the building was and they said it was the former regional branch of the KGB. Even though it wasn't used for any official government use anymore and hadn't been for about 15 years people still took the long way around the building rather than "risk" going near the front door. ^

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-33221888