Irish Presidency of the European Union: Ongoing consultations on extending sanctions against Russia

Brussels, September 14 (KUNA) -- The Irish Presidency of the European Union announced on Monday the continuation of consultations on extending European sanctions against Russia over its war in Ukraine, following a one-week postponement of the deadline for extension to reach an agreement among member states. A spokesperson for the Irish EU Presidency said that “consultations will continue and further discussions are expected,” following an agreement by the ambassadors of the 27 member states to postpone the sanctions extension deadline. The spokesperson added that “renewing the sanctions is essential to continue weakening Russia’s war machine and maintaining pressure on individuals and entities that support, enable, and benefit from it.” The sanctions, which cover around 3,000 individuals and entities, were scheduled to expire next Wednesday and require renewal every six months. The postponement decision came after France joined Slovakia’s request to remove Uzbek-Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov from the EU sanctions list. The EU had added Usmanov to its sanctions list in 2022 due to what it described as his close ties with the Kremlin. The EU sanctions against Russia include prominent figures, among them Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. (End) A.R.N. / M.A.H.A.