EU extends economic sanctions against Russia for 12 months for the first time

On June 19, a spokesman for the President of the European Council said EU leaders agreed to extend economic sanctions against Russia for 12 months. It is understood that this is the first time that the EU has decided to extend economic sanctions against Russia for 12 months instead of following the previous practice of extending them for 6 months at a time. These sanctions include restrictions on trade, finance, energy, industry, transportation and luxury goods. On December 22, 2025, the Council of the European Union issued a statement saying that it would extend economic sanctions against Russia until July 31, 2026. Russia has not responded to this. (CCTV News)