Brussels, 29/10/2014 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday 28 October, the ambassadors of the European Union decided to maintain sanctions against Russia in connection with the Ukrainian crisis. Stating that the European ministers of foreign affairs and then the European leaders had discussed the sanctions on 20-23 October, sources from the EU said that “the permanent representatives had followed the assessment reached at these discussions, and according to the assessment there was no reason to change the EU's restrictive measures against Russia”. The ambassadors discussed the impact of the EU sanctions against Russia and the situation on the ground in Ukraine, and they examined the restrictive measures, these sources added. The EU took several series of sanctions against Russia, the last of which entered into force on 12 September (see EUROPE 11154).
“The EU will continue to follow the situation in Eastern Ukraine and, in particular, the implementation of the Minsk documents”, these EU sources stated. Fighting continues in the region of Donetsk. Over 3,700 people have died since the beginning of the conflict in April. On 28 October, Russia's Minister for Foreign Affairs Sergei Lavrov announced that his country would recognise the elections organised by the separatists on 2 November. Russia has not formally recognised the referendums on independence organised by the separatists in May.
France's decision on delivery of Mistral helicopter carriers in November. Elsewhere, France's Minister for Defence Jean-Yves Le Drian announced that France's President François Hollande will give his decision “during November” on delivering the first of the Mistrals to Russia. Russia's Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin announced later during the day on 29 October that Paris would deliver the Mistral on 14 November. The company in charge of exporting the Russian weapons “Rosoboronexport received an invitation for 14 November in Saint-Nazaire (…) for the delivery to Russia of the first ship, the Vladivostok, and the launch of the second (the Sebastopol),” said Rogozin, quoted by Russian news agencies. The contract for the two helicopter carriers, which was signed in 2011, is worth €1.2 billion. Russia has already paid half of this. (CG)