The media reported the European Union's plans to extend sanctions against Russia after December 15

The European Union intends to extend economic sanctions against Russia for six months after December 15, Reuters reports , citing diplomatic sources.

According to the interlocutors of the agency, during the December summit in Brussels, Paris and Berlin will briefly inform the leaders of European countries about the situation in eastern Ukraine.

The sanctions, which expire at the end of January, will "no doubt" be extended, the sources said. The formal procedure for extending the restrictions should be completed on December 20.

Earlier, a senior EU official said that on Monday the foreign ministers of the EU member states would not discuss the fate of economic sanctions against Russia, which expire at the end of January. He added that preparatory work is underway.

The lifting of EU sanctions imposed on Russia is traditionally linked to Moscow's implementation of the Minsk agreements to stabilize the situation in southeastern Ukraine. We are talking about a ceasefire, the withdrawal of heavy weapons from the line of contact of the warring parties, as well as the implementation of constitutional reform in Ukraine.

At the end of November, French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Herault, before the start of the Normandy Four talks , said that the lifting of anti-Russian sanctions is a counterproductive step, as it will weaken efforts to resolve the conflict in Donbass. According to him, refusal to implement the Minsk agreements would be a strategic mistake.