PARIS

The French National Assembly in Paris passed a non-binding resolution calling on the French government to not renew EU sanctions against Russia for its role in the east Ukraine crisis.

Out of 101 lawmakers present in the lower house of parliament, 55 voted in favor of the resolution, 44 against, while two abstained, according to the National Assembly’s official Twitter account.

EU sanctions were first imposed on Russia in July 2014 in response to its annexation of the Crimean peninsula from Ukraine and over its support of pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine.

On June 2015, the Council of Europe prolonged the duration of sanctions by six months until Jan. 31, 2016.