EU extends sanctions on Russia for another year

EU leaders concluded their diplomatic summit talks in Brussels, amid an atmosphere dominated by the European security file and the position on the Ukraine crisis.

Extension of sanctions

The 27 EU leaders agreed during their summit to extend economic sanctions on Russia for a full 12 months.

According to official reports issued by the summit, this decision marks the first time that sectoral sanctions against Moscow have been extended for a full year at once, after European measures were periodically renewed every six months;

The decision was in line with international pressure, especially after US President Donald Trump announced at the G7 summit in France that Russia must "reach an agreement", threatening to reimpose previously imposed sanctions on Washington.

Costa opens secret channel of dialogue with Kremlin

European Council President António Costa struck  a heavy political surprise during the summit by announcing the opening of a direct and secret diplomatic channel with the Kremlin to assess the chances of launching peace negotiations, a decision that raised great concern and widespread objections among several European capitals, which criticized them for not consulting them in advance before making the relevant contact.

European Council President António Costa defended his exploratory move, saying his team had concluded that the conditions for negotiations with Moscow were not currently available.

Diplomatic data available to the media revealed that Costa Chief of Staff Pedro Loretti had several phone calls with Yuri Ushakov, a senior aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin;

While the move was welcomed by countries such as Belgium, Slovenia, Austria, Slovakia and Bulgaria, diplomats told Euronews that they had strong concerns and objections led by Poland, the Baltic states and the Scandinavian countries, who considered the timing inappropriate, hinting at the possibility of limiting the channels to the E3 format (Germany, France and the United Kingdom), although Costa's team confirmed that the move was encouraged and coordinated in advance with the Ukrainian president last May.

Situation on the ground

Russian forces launched an intensive ballistic missile attack targeting the Ukrainian capital Kyiv and vital areas in the center of the country.

Kyiv's military governor, Timur Tkachenko, said on Telegram that air defenses dealt with enemy ballistic missiles that were launched at dawn, as a powerful explosion was heard in the center of the capital, according to a correspondent of the German news agency, while the Ukrainian Air Force confirmed that other Russian missiles were directed towards the Poltava region, causing extensive material damage and new casualties among civilians.

In return, Ukraine carried out a violent response on the ground by directing a drone attack, the largest of its kind, targeting deep inside Russia and the heart of the capital, Moscow.

The Russian news agency TASS and the Agence France-Presse reported that the squadrons of Ukrainian drones succeeded in reaching the major oil refinery "MNBZ" in the southern Kaputnia region, which led to the ignition of huge fires and black smoke plumes, in addition to the announcement by the management of the "Sheremetyevo" international airport of the evacuation of passengers for the shelters, and the confirmation by Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin of the imposition of air restrictions and road closures, in a development that deliberately coincided with Russian President Vladimir Putin's hosting of Southeast Asian leaders at the "Russia-ASEAN" summit in the city of Kazan.