Media: The EU and US will discuss sanctions against Russia
On the 18th of November, the President of the United States, Barack Obama, and the leaders of five EU countries will discuss the extension of sanctions against Russia, as reported by Reuters, citing several sources. According to the news outlet, this issue will be discussed at a meeting in Berlin with the participation of the leaders of Germany, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Italy and Spain.
Reuters also indicated that Donald Trump, who won the U.S. Presidential election, has stated that he intends to pursue a positive relationship with the Russian Federation. This has raised questions in Europe about the future of sanctions imposed by Washington and Brussels against Moscow in 2014 due to the events in Ukraine. According to a German official, there was a plan in the coming weeks to agree on the extension of EU sanctions against Russia, which expire in late January.
“However, there are fears that Trump may move in the opposite direction after his inauguration on the 20th of January. European leaders will clarify this question with Obama, who met with Trump last week at the White House.
As Reuters previously reported, the European Union will extend sanctions against Russia until the inauguration of President-Elect Trump. The United States extended sanctions against Russia prior to the upcoming meeting. Also, it was reported that Russia doesn’t expect sanctions to be lifted after Trump’s victory.