The measure was passed on the second and last day of the EU summit in this capital and is related to the alleged non compliance from Russia to the Minsk’s agreements, a source close to the summit quoted by TASS pointed out.

Moscow was once again held responsible for the zero advance in the fulfillment of the mentioned arrangements, agreed on in September 2014 and February 2015 to end the armed conflict in Donbass, in Ukrainian southeast.

The Russian government makes it clear at all times that it is not a part from those involved in the confrontation, since it came to Minsk as a mediator between the Ukrainian government and rebels from self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk republics.

The EU will start a process in the coming days to officially announce the decision to extend for another semester the punitive measures against the European-Asian country, expiring next July, as they do since mid 2014.

Russia supported Crimea’s independence and accepted the return to its jurisdiction in March on the mentioned year, while it supported the cause of Donetsk and Lugansk’ s protesting population, located in the coal mining area of Donbass, the local press highlighted.

After Kiev’s coup d’état, in February 2014, rightist government that came to power launched a punishment operation against the population of Donbass opposed to the removal of Russian as the official language.

pgh/lcp