The EU Council has decided to extend the sanctions imposed by the EU in response to the illegal annexation of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol by the Russian Federation until June 23, 2025, according to the EU Council's website.
The statement says that the current restrictive measures were first introduced in June 2014 and include a ban on importing products originating from the illegally annexed Crimea or Sevastopol into the EU, as well as prohibiting infrastructure or financial investments and tourism services from the annexed unlawfully Crimea or Sevastopol.
In addition, the EU restrictions also cover the export of certain goods and technologies to Crimean companies, for use in the illegally annexed Crimea in the transport, telecommunications, and energy sectors, or for oil, gas, and mineral exploration and extraction.
"The EU does not recognize and continues to condemn the illegal annexation of Crimea and Sevastopol by the Russian Federation as a violation of international law," the statement said.
The EU stated that since 2022, Russia has continued to violate Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity with its unprovoked and unjustified aggressive war against Ukraine.
"The EU remains steadfast in its commitment to Ukraine's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders and its inherent right of self-defense against the Russian aggression, and dedicated to fully implementing its non-recognition policy," the EU added.
The EU began imposing sanctions on Russia after Moscow's occupation of Crimea in 2014. Since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the EU has implemented 13 packages of sanctions. The 14th package is currently being prepared, but EU countries have not yet been able to agree on all the details.
