The EU has extended economic sanctions against Russia amid sharp differences over relations with Moscow which struck back with a furious tirade and its own import ban against Ukraine. Russia said the decision showed the EU did not really want improved relations so as battle common threats such as terrorism.

The European Council of all 28 EU member states rolled over the economic sanctions because peace accords — agreed by France, Germany, Ukraine and Russia at talks in the Belarusian capital Minsk — would not be fully executed by year’s end as required. EU officials say there can be no let up in sanctions until Russia ensures pro-Moscow rebels in eastern Ukraine stick to the Minsk deal.

The EU sanctions decision was meant to have been a formality, with member country ambassadors supposed to approve the rollover in early December and thereby avoid debate at the leaders summit which took place last week in Brussels. Italy has traditionally close ties with Russia and wanted EU leaders to at least discuss the issue, but Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi could not get it on the formal agenda despite his best efforts.

Russia has repeatedly dismissed the sanctions which target its banking, oil and defence sectors as ineffective and counter-productive to the better understanding the EU says it wants.

In the Past…

• The EU first imposed economic sanctions against Russia for a year after the July 2014 downing of a Malaysia Airlines jet, blamed on pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine.
• In June 2015, the sanctions were renewed for six months to January 2016 and will now run until end-July.
• Besides the economic sanctions, the EU earlier imposed travel bans and asset freezes on Russian and Ukrainian individuals blamed for the conflict in eastern Ukraine. These measures run to March.
• It has also targeted those involved in Moscow’s annexation of Crimea in March 2014 with similar measures which expire in June.