Brussels, 14/12/2015 (Agence Europe) - On Monday 14 December, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini confirmed that the EU heads of state and government will discuss extending sanctions against Russia in connection with the Ukrainian conflict.
“As I understand, this will be at the European Council later this week (17-18 December) - as has always been the case when we speak about sanctions against Russia” Mogherini said, when asked about the issue as she arrived at the Foreign Affairs Council. “It's on the European Council's discussion table. I don't see any major problem from the member states on the political decision” of extending the sanctions, she added. Although the subject was not on the Council's agenda, the ministers - who discussed the eastern partners, including Ukraine - stated, according to Mogherini, that there was progress in implementing the Minsk agreements, but that the agreements had not been totally implemented.
Italy's foreign minister, Paolo Gentiloni - whose country asked on 9 December for such an “important” issue to be the subject of a debate (see EUROPE 11449) - also confirmed that a discussion would take place at the European Council. “We all said that the decision on the roll over of the sanctions should be taken in connection with the analysis of the Minsk protocol. This, I think, is what the European Council is going to do and I'm sure that we will have a common decision”, Gentiloni said upon his arrival. His Polish counterpart, Witold Waszczykowski, said he was “surprised” at the Italian attitude. “The Minsk agreements have not been fulfilled. I'm therefore surprised that the Italian party raises this issue of sanctions in a way that is not favourable for us - in other words, that it wants to lift them”, he said, adding that there was not “currently any reason to lift the sanctions”. It would nevertheless seem that Italy has formulated objections as regards the method and not as regards the result (in other words, extending the sanctions).
Although the decision on extending the sanctions was initially due to be discussed at the European Council, it was in the end decided that this should be done via the ambassadors, then the ministers - officially to ease the European leaders' heavy agenda. “It's clear that for many member states and the president of the European Council, the less that is spoken about them, the better - all the more so as there is quite broad agreement on the principle of extending them for six months”, a diplomatic source stated. Several countries, however - including Italy, Luxembourg and Ireland - were in favour of a discussion.
The draft European Council conclusions dated 14 December do not mention the conflict in Ukraine or the Russian sanctions. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant with Jan Kordys)