European Union maintains sanctions against Crimea, illegally annexed by Russia

Brussels – The European Union confirms its vision of a united and free Ukraine. Today (June 17) the European Union Council decided on the one-year extension of sanctions against Crimea, a Ukrainian territory illegally annexed by Russia in 2014. The measures, which come on top of those in place against Russia for its large-scale invasion of Ukraine, affect key sectors, from infrastructure to investment to technology.

After confirmation of support for Ukraine emerged in the peace summit in Switzerland comes the extension of economic sanctions against Crimea. The measures have been in place since 2014 when Russian troops invaded the Ukrainian peninsula and then held an illegitimate referendum that marked Crimea’s entry as part of the Russian Federation. European sanctions affect all goods produced in the region; in addition, the EU also maintains a ban on technology exports to the peninsula. With today’s decision, the EU confirms its political line of not recognizing the illegal annexation carried out by Moscow.