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> 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> 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 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, they 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.

The conflict is still not resolved and has killed nearly 10,000 people to date.

Poland was among the EU states who wanted a longer extension of the sanctions but Italy, a leading voice in the bloc, argued for seeking ways to reestablish business ties with Moscow.

Despite threats in October by some EU leaders, the bloc has shied away from slapping new sanctions on Russia over the conflict in Syria. </s> WARSAW, Poland — Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko has urged the European Union to extend sanctions against Russia, which he says continues its armed aggression in eastern Ukraine against international agreements.

Poroshenko was in Poland on Friday for talks and signing deals on strengthening in the and energy sectors.

The visit marked 25 years since Poland became the first nation in the world to recognize an independent Ukraine, which had been a former Soviet republic.

Poroshenko said the EU should decide in January to extend its economic and political sanctions against Russia, which keeps violating the 2014 peace deal to halt hostilities.

On Thursday, European Council President Donald Tusk told the Polish TVN24 station he believes the sanctions against Russia will be extended for another six months. </s> BRUSSELS, Nov 28 (Reuters) - The European Union's hawks have called for more sanctions on Russia after a fresh flare-up of tensions with Ukraine but the divided bloc is not going to act swiftly, if at all, diplomatic sources said.

A sign of their long-standing divisions on how to handle President Vladimir Putin's Russia, the 28 EU states were still struggling on Wednesday to agree a joint statement, three days after Russia seized Ukrainian navy vessels and sailors.

The three former Soviet republics sitting on the Baltic Sea coast, backed by Poland and Britain, want tough language on more sanctions looming.

Several senior European politicians raised the prospect on Tuesday and U.S. President Donald Trump said he might cancel a meeting with Putin later this week over the maritime clash he described as "aggression".

But the bloc's top powers Germany and France have so far put emphasis on seeking to calm tensions.

"We are not going to move very quickly on any new sanctions, there could be some later on, that is not ruled out. But for now the unity of the 28 is key. And focus on de-escalation," one EU diplomat said.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel spoke to Putin and Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko on Tuesday. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was in France.

"There is a lot of contacts going on. Let's see where they take us. I doubt we will rush on sanctions too much," another EU diplomat also said.

Countries including Italy, Greece, Bulgaria and Cyprus have long called for a softer stance vis-à-vis Moscow, saying the bloc's existing economic sanctions over Russia's role in the turmoil in Ukraine hurt EU businesses too.

The bloc first imposed sanctions after Russia annexed the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea from Kiev in 2014. Brussels tightened the measures as Moscow went on to back rebels fighting against government troops in east Ukraine.

EU leaders are expected to decide to roll the economic sanctions over for another year when they meet in Brussels in December. They could also look at any new punitive measures then after a discussion among their foreign ministers on Dec.10.

"In order to discuss sanctions, we'd need to have a clearer picture of what happened," another EU source said, highlighting unease in some EU quarters that Poroshenko could also stand to gain from the situation.

Putin on Wednesday accused Poroshenko of orchestrating a "provocation" in the sea to boost his flagging popularity ratings before an election next year.

Following the incident, Ukraine introduced martial law in parts of the country it says are vulnerable to Russian attack. The European Commission has said it received "important" assurances from Poroshenko that this would not interfere with democratic processes or restrict citizens rights.

If the 28 EU member states fail to agree the wording of a joint statement, the bloc is likely to put out a less strongly worded statement in the name of its top diplomat, Federica Mogherini, on Wednesday.

It would call on Russia to free the Ukrainian vessels and sailors as well as ensure unrestricted sea access. It would urge both sides to show restraint and express support for Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty, diplomatic sources said.

EU diplomats said the latest escalation weakens the hand of Russia doves in the bloc. While the EU would not necessarily create new sanctions, it can add new names to its existing blacklists, including some Russian military personnel, the sources said.

The U.S. State Department called on the EU on Tuesday to do more to help Ukraine in its struggle with Russia, including through tougher enforcement of existing sanctions and dropping support for the Nord Stream 2 pipeline with Moscow.

Washington, which under Trump has promoted more exports of its own natural gas that competes with Russia, has long lobbied the EU against the construction of another pipeline that would deepen the bloc's dependence on Russian gas deliveries.

The U.S. government has threatened to sanction those involved in the project but Germany - the final destination of the pipeline and the project's co-author with Russia - said it was sticking to it. (Reporting by Gabriela Baczynska Editing by Peter Graff) </s> UNITED NATIONS: The United States on Monday (Nov 26) warned Russia that "outlaw actions" like the seizure of Ukrainian ships in the Sea of Azov are preventing normal relations from developing between Washington and Moscow.

US Ambassador Nikki Haley told an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council that "the United States would welcome a normal relationship with Russia. But outlaw actions like this one continue to make that impossible."

Tensions have flared after the Russian navy on Sunday boarded and seized three Ukrainian ships off the coast of Crimea, accusing Ukraine of illegally entering Russian waters in the Sea of Azov.

The confrontation at sea raised fears of a wider military flareup.

Haley put the blame firmly on Russia for the clash, calling the seizure of the ships an "outrageous violation of sovereign Ukrainian territory" and slamming "yet another reckless Russian escalation."

But she did not specifically threaten further sanctions, instead calling for a de-escalation of tensions over Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014 in a move never recognised by the international community.

"The United States will maintain its Crimea-related sanctions against Russia. Indeed, further Russian escalation of this kind will only make matters worse," said Haley.

"It will further undermine Russia's standing in the world. It will further sour Russia's relations with the US and many other countries. It will further increase tensions with Ukraine. "

Haley said her remarks followed conversations with President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and reflect "concerns at the highest level of the American government."

The US warning comes ahead of a planned meeting between Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Argentina later this week.

Russia's envoy accused Ukraine of provoking the confrontation to justify the imposition of martial law and a delay of elections as polls show Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko faces possible defeat.

Ukraine's parliament was to vote Monday on a request from Poroshenko to impose martial law for 60 days.

Denouncing a "mythical Russian aggression," Russian Deputy Ambassador Dmitry Polyanskiy told the council: "Our country has never caused the first blow, but it knows how to protect itself."

Ukraine called for a toughening of sanctions against Russia, with Ambassador Volodymyr Yelchenko warning that "if unopposed, the Kremlin regime will take another and another aggressive act" leading to wider conflict.

The Ukrainian ambassador cited audio recordings of communications among Russian vessel commanders that showed they were given orders to attack the ships after they had changed course and were returning to their Ukrainian port.

France and Germany, which lead European diplomatic efforts to end the conflict in Ukraine, urged Russia to hand over the seized ships and release the seamen.

At the outset of the meeting, Russia suffered a setback in the council after it sought to discuss the clash in the Azov under an agenda item that described the incident as a violation of Russia's borders.

This was rejected in a procedural vote, with only China, Bolivia and Kazakhstan siding with Russia. The council then discussed the clash under a less contentious agenda item. </s> Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko signed a decree on Monday to introduce martial law for 60 days, a statement on his website said, though it needs parliamentary approval to come into force.

The decision came a day after Russia fired at and captured three Ukrainian vessels in Kerch Strait near Crimea, triggering a sharp escalation in tensions between the two countries.

Poroshenko said he would impose martial law throughout the country from Wednesday but said his decree did not include restrictions on citizens' rights or postponing elections slated for next year.

In a televised address, he offered parliament the introduction of martial law for 30 days instead of the 60 days his security council had originally envisaged.

"I fulfilled my constitutional duty and a few hours ago, by my decree, I imposed martial law throughout Ukraine from 9 am on November 28," he said.

Ukrainian lawmakers voted later on Monday to back a proposal by President Petro Poroshenko to introduce martial law for a period of 30 days in areas of the country most vulnerable to an attack from Russia.

They also voted to confirm that Ukraine would hold presidential elections on March 31.

Separately, the International Monetary Fund said introducing martial law would have no bearing on continued IMF cooperation with Ukraine.

Russia invaded Crimea in 2014 in the aftermath of the turbulent period when Ukraine's pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych was toppled after weeks of pro-European protests.

It unilaterally annexed the peninsula after a referendum in March 2014, but failed to garner international support and recognition for the move while prompting the U.S. and the E.U. to impose sanctions.

The incident in Kerch Strait has raised fears of a wider military escalation and the U.N. Security Council was to hold an emergency session Monday. NATO also called an emergency meeting on the incident.

Ukraine's Western allies accused Russia of using force without justification, while Kiev urged its partners to impose further sanctions on Moscow.

"These were planned acts of aggression by the Russian Federation against Ukraine," Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin told reporters in Kiev.

"We will demand (at the Security Council) the immediate release of our sailors and the liberation of our ships."

He said talks were underway, with the European Union and others, on increasing sanctions imposed on Russia.

Moscow insisted Kiev was to blame, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov saying: "The Russian side acted strictly within both domestic and international law."

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused Kiev of a planned provocation and of using "dangerous methods" that put ships in the area at risk.

The crisis unfolded as two small Ukrainian warships and a tugboat were heading through the Kerch Strait, a waterway that gives access to the Sea of Azov from the Black Sea and which is used by both Ukraine and Russia.

Ukraine said a Russian border guard vessel rammed the tugboat and then fired on the ships, immobilizing all three. It said the Kerch Strait was blocked by a tanker and that Russian military aircraft were flying over the area.

Russia's FSB security service, which oversees border forces, confirmed weapons had been fired and the vessels seized, accusing the Ukrainian ships of "violating the Russian border".

Ukraine said six of its servicemen were injured, two seriously. The FSB said only three had suffered non-life threatening injuries and were given medical treatment.

Russian news agencies quoted port officials in Crimea as saying the strait was reopened to traffic early on Monday.

The confrontation is a dangerous development in the long-running conflict pitting Ukraine against Moscow and Russian-backed rebels in the east of the country. More than 10,000 people have died in the fighting.

"I condemn Russian use of force in Azov Sea. Russian authorities must return Ukrainian sailors, vessels & refrain from further provocations," EU President Donald Tusk tweeted.

France also called on Russia to release the sailors and ships, with the foreign ministry saying "nothing appears to justify the use of force" by Russia.

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said any Russian "blockade" of the Sea of Azov was "unacceptable".

Tensions have been building over the Kerch Strait, where Russia has built a new bridge that gives it a land connection to Crimea, annexed by Moscow in 2014.

Kiev has accused Moscow of blocking access for Ukrainian ships through the strait, the only way in and out of the Sea of Azov to the Black Sea.

In recent months both sides had deployed more naval and border vessels to the area.

"The incident marks a significant escalation of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine," research firm Eurasia Group said.

"Western governments will side with Ukraine against Russia over the incident... making new sanctions against Russia likely."

Poroshenko held a late-night meeting of his military cabinet, proposing the imposition of martial law in Ukraine "to ensure the security and safety of its citizens".

Eurasia Group said martial law could have wide-ranging domestic consequences, especially with a presidential election due in March and Poroshenko behind in opinion polls.

"Poroshenko did not take this kind of action during the worst of the conflict in 2014 and 2015. This raises concerns that... it could lead to postponement of the presidential election," it said.

Protesters gathered in several Ukrainian cities to denounce Russia's actions, with several hundred far-right activists marching to parliament in Kiev and setting off flares.
The European Union extends its main Ukraine-related economic sanctions against Russia for six months until mid-2017.