Russia decries EU decision to prolong sanctions

By Diyar Guldogan

ANKARA

Russia will keep building relations with the EU despite the extension of sanctions, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday.

"We still regret and we believe that such decisions do not meet either the interests of the EU member countries, nor Russia," Peskov was quoted as saying by the official TASS news agency.

Peskov's remarks came a day after EU leaders agreed to extend economic sanctions against Moscow for another six months.

“EU united on roll-over of economic sanctions on Russia,” European Council President Donald Tusk said on his Twitter account.

Peskov said Russia considers the sanctions "illegal and wrong," adding: "But at the same time we’re resolved on building relations with Brussels, which now leave much to be desired."

The EU first agreed to impose economic sanctions against Russia in 2014 due to the destabilization of Ukraine by Russia.

In June, the EU extended its own range of economic steps against Russia until Jan. 31, 2018 over what it said was the continued "lack of full implementation" of the Minsk agreements to end the conflict in eastern Ukraine.

Ukraine has been wracked by conflict since March 2014 following Russia’s annexation of Crimea after an illegal independence vote.

The UN General Assembly voted to proclaim the Russian annexation illegal.

Russia’s annexation led Western powers, including the U.S., to impose sanctions against Moscow.

Along with the UN General Assembly, the U.S., the EU, and Turkey do not recognize Crimea as Russian territory.