As dawn broke on Friday 29 June, the European Council agreed to prolong the European Union's economic sanctions against Russia over the crisis in eastern Ukraine.
These measures, to run until the end of July, are traditionally extended for six months at a time. They were adopted for the first time in July 2014 (see EUROPE 11133).
Furthermore, the European Council called on the Russian Federation to accept its responsibility in the MH17 crash, in which nearly 300 people were killed, including many Dutch and Belgians (see EUROPE 11125), and it called for the Russian Federation to cooperate fully in all the work aiming to establish the truth, justice and accountability. According to the joint investigation team, the installation used to bring down flight MH17 undoubtedly belonged to the Russian armed forces – which Moscow denies (see EUROPE 12027).
The Council reiterated its full support for United Nations Security Council Resolution 2166, which stipulates that those responsible, directly or indirectly, for the attack on flight MH17 should be held responsible and brought to justice. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)