EU agrees to extend sanctions on Russia for six months

European Union leaders meeting yesterday in Brussels agreed to extend sanctions on Russia for another six months, EU officials said.The one-day summit, which ran late into the evening, capped a turbulent year for the 28-member group as questions loom over the integrity and future of the organization.

The decision to extend sanctions on Russia came as no surprise. German Chancellor Angela



Merkel and French President Francois Hollande said this week that they would support extending sanctions in light of Russia's failure to abide by the Minsk agreements on Ukraine.

The decision, to be announced officially in the next few days, came despite growing pressure among investors and energy interests in Europe, including within Germany itself, for sanctions to be rolled back.