EU prolongs sanctions over Ukraine territory violations

By Agnes Szucs

BRUSSELS (AA) - The EU on Friday extended its sanctions against the violation of Ukraine's territory for another six months.

The foreign ministers of EU member countries approved the move, prolonging the sanctions targeting "those responsible for undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty, and independence" of Ukraine.

In a press statement, the EU Council announced the move, which includes travel restrictions, asset freezes, and banning of EU actors from make funds available for 177 individuals and 48 entities until Sept. 15.

The bloc has been applying restrictive measures in response to the Ukraine crisis since 2014.

Separate economic sanctions on the Russian finance, energy, and defense sectors are also in place until July 31 due to Moscow's reluctance to fully implement the Minsk agreement meant to establish a cease-fire in Eastern Ukraine.

The bloc also has also retained economic sanctions over the illegal annexation of Crimea and the port of Sevastopol until June 23.

Ukraine blames the Kremlin for separatist violence in eastern Ukraine near the border with Russia. Some 13,000 people have been killed in the conflict -- a quarter of them civilians -- and as many as 30,000 wounded, according to the UN.