BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union is extending for six months the sanctions targeting people and entities involved in what the EU considers Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea from Ukraine.

The extension, officially announced Thursday, consists of an asset freeze and a ban on EU travel, and affects 146 individuals and 37 entities.

The measures, originally introduced in 2014, were last extended in March, the EU said in a statement. The latest action endorsed by representatives from the 28 EU member states means the punitive measures can remain in force through March 15, 2017.

European Union leaders have strongly condemned Russia's annexation of Crimea. The people and entities subject to EU sanctions are deemed to have acted "against Ukraine's territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence." </s> Author: European Council.

The Council prolonged by 6 months the application of EU restrictive measures targeting actions against Ukraine’s territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence. These sanctions consist of an asset freeze and a travel ban against 146 persons and 37 entities. They have been extended until 15 March 2017.

The measures had been introduced in March 2014 and were last extended in March 2016.The assessment of the situation did not justify a change in the regime of sanctions nor in the list of persons and entities under restrictive measures. Information and statement of reasons for listing related to these persons and entities were updated as necessary.

The legal acts are available in the EU Official Journal of 16 September 2016. The decision was adopted by written procedure.

Several EU measures are in place in response to the crisis in Ukraine including:

– economic sanctions targeting specific sectors of the Russian economy, currently in place until 31 January 2017;

– restrictive measures in response to the illegal annexation of Crimea and Sevastopol, limited to the territory of Crimea and Sevastopol, currently in place until 23 June 2017. </s> The European Union has imposed asset freezes on six Russian firms involved in the construction of a new road-and-rail bridge.

The bridge which links Russia to the annexed Crimean peninsula is said to be illegal.

Russia seized Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 during an uprising which toppled Ukraine’s pro-Russian president.

The West condemned the move as an illegal annexation and imposed sanctions on Moscow.

The 3.6 billion dollars bridge across the Kerch strait, part of which was unveiled by Russian President, Vladimir Putin, in May, has drawn strong rebukes from the EU which says it is a further violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty.

The six companies cited in Tuesday’s statement from the Council of the European Union include construction firms PJSC Mostotrest and CJSC VAD.

“The firms will have their assets in the EU frozen and EU persons and entities will not be able to make funds available to them.

“Through their actions they supported the consolidation of Russia’s control over the illegally annexed Crimean peninsula, which in turn further undermines the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine,” the council said.

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister, Pavlo Klimkin, said he welcomed the additional sanctions.

“Important warning also for European businesses not to go down same slippery slope,” Klimkin wrote on Twitter.

The other companies targeted are engineering firms GPSM and Zaliv Shipyard, and construction groups SGM and Stroygazmontazh Most OOO. </s> Europe has extended economic sanctions on Russia for another six months, despite indications that President-elect Donald Trump could try to repair ties with Moscow.

The decision was confirmed by European Council President Donald Tusk, who said that some European Union member states had pushed for a longer 12-month extension of the punitive measures.

"Some of our colleagues would prefer maybe 12 months," he said. "But it was clear from the very beginning that what was possible is to maintain our current format ... for six months."

The U.S. and EU both imposed sanctions on Russia after it annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014. The EU restricted travel and froze the assets of nearly 150 people over the conflict. It also imposed restrictions on strategic sectors of Russia's shrinking economy: banks, energy firms and defense contractors.

"I am sincerely grateful for unwavering unity and solidarity of the European leaders in restoring Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, including Crimea," he said in a statement.

At the height of the Ukraine crisis, a Malaysia Airlines flight was brought down by a Russian missile fired from territory controlled by pro-Russian separatists. Relations between Russia and the West hit their lowest ebb for decades.

Trump has vowed to reset ties with Moscow and has made no secret of his admiration for President Vladimir Putin. He's also denied that the Kremlin hacked the 2016 election, putting him at odds with many in his own party, and the U.S. intelligence establishment.

Related: The good, bad and ugly of warmer US-Russia relations

The nomination of Rex Tillerson to lead the U.S. State Department is being read as another sign of a sharp shift in U.S. policy toward Moscow. The ExxonMobil (XOM) CEO has good relationships with senior Russian officials including Putin, and he is on the record as opposing sanctions.

An improved relationship with Russia might require the U.S. to acquiesce to the Kremlin's annexation of Crimea, and lift sanctions on top Russian officials.

But that would be relatively easy: Trump could cancel sanctions, without consulting Europe, with the stroke of a pen since they were mandated by President Obama in a series of executive orders.

Related: Tillerson shared stage with Russian official under U.S. sanctions

EU Council President Tusk said it was "still to early" to assess the incoming administration's policies.

"We have too many signals ... we have to wait for formal declaration of the new president," he said. </s> The Council of the European Union on Tuesday published a statement informing it had added six entities involved in the construction of the Kerch Bridge connecting the Crimean Peninsula with Russia to its sanctions list of persons and entities threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty, and independence of Ukraine.

The measures consist of an asset freeze, meaning all assets in the EU belonging to these entities are frozen and that EU persons and entities cannot provide funds to them. </s> BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Union leaders agreed on Thursday to extend economic sanctions against Russia over the turmoil in Ukraine until mid-2017, though some wanted a longer timespan over fear U.S. President-elect Donald Trump would ease pressure on Moscow.

A billboard with a portrait of Russian President Vladimir Putin is displayed on a street in Kerch, Crimea, April 7, 2016. The board reads: "Crimea. Russia. Forever." REUTERS/Andrew Osborn/File Photo

The decision was expected and the formal process to extend the sanctions on Russia’s defense, energy and financial sectors will take place early next week.

“Some of our colleagues would prefer maybe 12 months but ... what is possible is maintaining our current format, it means six months,” European Council President Donald Tusk said.

The bloc slapped sanctions on Russia after it annexed Ukraine’s Black Sea peninsula of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and stepped them up as Moscow went on to support a separatist rebellion in Ukraine’s industrial east.

It has extended them by six months each time ever since as Moscow says it would never give back Crimea and the conflict in east Ukraine - which has killed 10,000 people to date - is not resolved despite peace mediation by Germany and France.

Ukraine’s President Petro Poroshenko welcomed the decision: “I am sincerely grateful for unwavering unity and solidarity of the European leaders in restoring Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, including Crimea.”

THE TRUMP EFFECT

Poland was among the EU states that wanted a longer extension of the sanctions, but Italy has been a leading voice in the bloc in calling for re-establishing business ties with Moscow.

The decision was also meant as a signal to Trump, who takes office on Jan. 20 and has worried the EU with his promises to seek a rapprochement with Russia.

“It would send a very bad signal vis-a-vis Trump if we shied away from this extension, or prolonged them by a shorter period of time,” a senior EU official said.

But in front of cameras, EU leaders were more cautious, with German Chancellor Angela Merkel saying the extension was agreed “based on the current situation” rather than attempts to “anticipate what the new American president might do.”

Related Coverage Some EU states wanted longer Russia sanctions ahead of Trump

“It’s still too early to assess responsibly what is the possible policy of the new american administration on Russia,” said Tusk.

Despite threats in October by some EU leaders, the bloc has shied away from slapping new sanctions on Russia over the conflict in Syria.

In a separate decision on Thursday, EU leaders agreed to spell out limits to a landmark cooperation accord with Ukraine in order to address Dutch concerns and prevent the deal from falling through. </s> The EU on Tuesday expanded its sanctions against Moscow to include companies that helped build a bridge from mainland Russia to Kremlin-annexed Crimea, which it says violates Ukraine's sovereignty.

The European Union said the six firms and organisations will have their assets in the EU frozen for their role in building the Kerch Bridge, which Russian President Vladimir Putin inaugurated in May.

"EU adds six entities involved in the construction of the Kerch Bridge connecting the illegally annexed Crimea to Russia to sanctions list," EU member states headlined in a statement.

"Through their actions they supported the consolidation of Russia's control over the illegally annexed Crimean peninsula," they added.

This, it said, "in turn further undermines the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine."

The Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko in a Facebook post welcomed the EU move to sanction those "involved in the construction of the illegal Kerch Bridge".

Moscow meanwhile denounced a "subversive policy directed against the residents of Crimea".

The West "encourages those who are involved in the energy blockade of Crimea and persecutes those who are building civil infrastructure," foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in comments reported by Russian news agencies.

Two of the six firms and organisations identified in the EU's Official Journal are controlled by businessman Arkady Rotenberg, a close Putin ally.

The EU has also unleashed a series of sanctions against Moscow for its support for pro-Russian separatists in the conflict in eastern Ukraine.

A total of 44 entities have now been hit with EU sanctions against Russia.

Another 155 people, including several close to Putin, have also seen asset freezes and travel bans as a result of the EU blacklist.

The EU says it continues to refuse to recognise the 2014 annexation of Crimea by Russia, which was condemned by the pro-western government in Kiev as well as the United States and the EU, who see it as an illegal land grab.

The peninsula had been hard to reach from southern Russia with long queues of vehicles often forming to board ferries, which cannot always run in winter storms, so the easiest way across is to fly. </s> The European Union has imposed asset freezes on six Russian firms for their involvement in the construction of a new road-and-rail bridge linking Russia to the annexed Crimean peninsula, which the bloc says is illegal.

Russia seized Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 after Ukraine's pro-Russian president was toppled in an uprising. The West condemned the seizure as an illegal annexation and imposed sanctions on Moscow.

After the annexation, the Kremlin ordered the building of a $3.6 million bridge to link the peninsula to Russia.

The bridge, part of which was unveiled by Russian President Vladimir Putin in May, has drawn strong rebukes from the EU which says it is a further violation of Ukraine's sovereignty.

A statement from the EU Council, which sets the bloc's foreign and security policy, named six firms that will have their assets in the EU frozen. EU persons and entities will not be able to make funds available to them, it said.

The companies include three firms — PJSC Mostotrest, SGM and Stroygazmontazh Most OOO — controlled by billionaire Arkady Rotenberg, President Vladimir Putin's former

Judo sparring partner. Construction firm CJSC VAD, engineering firm GPSM and the Zaliv Shipyard were also named.

"Through their actions they supported the consolidation of Russia's control over the illegally annexed Crimean peninsula, which in turn further undermines the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine," the Council said.

Ukraine's foreign minister Pavlo Klimkin said he welcomed the additional sanctions.

"Important warning also for European businesses not to go down same slippery slope," Klimkin wrote on Twitter.

Russia criticized the sanctions, saying they targeted people living on the peninsula.

"This is a policy of undermining, directed against Crimea's residents," Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova was quoted as saying by TASS news agency.

Rotenberg brushed aside the sanctions in a social media post, saying work was underway to complete the railway section of the bridge.

"We're all proud of our work and if someone doesn't like it that's not our problem," a spokesman for Rotenberg quoted him on the Telegram messaging service as saying. </s> BRUSSELS -- Representatives of the European Parliament and the European Council are due to sign a document in Strasbourg formalizing a long-awaited visa-liberalization deal with Ukraine.

After the signing on May 17, the visa-free regime is due to enter into force on June 11.

Ukrainian citizens who have biometric passports will be able to enter all EU member states apart from Ireland and the United Kingdom without a visa for up to 90 days during any 180-day period. It also applies to four Schengen-Area countries that are not in the EU: Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Switzerland.

After EU member states gave their approval on May 11, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said his country had "finalized its divorce from the Russian Empire."

Poroshenko's predecessor, Viktor Yanukovych, was pushed from power in 2014 by massive pro-European protests after he scrapped plans for a deal to tighten ties with the EU.

Russia then seized control of Ukraine's Crimea region and fomented separatism in eastern Ukraine, where a war between Russia-backed forces and the government has killed more than 9,900 people.

Visa-free EU travel began on March 28 for citizens of Georgia, another former Soviet republic that is under pressure from Russia.
The European Union extends the asset freeze and travel ban against 146 persons and 37 entities, including close associates of Russian President Vladimir Putin, by six months until 15 March 2017 for the annexation of Crimea from Ukraine.