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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| EU to keep Russia sanctions in place over Ukraine | EU to keep Russia sanctions in place over Ukraine |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| The EU is to keep sanctions against Russia in place, judging that Ukraine's peace deal is not fully effective. | |
| EU ambassadors who met on Tuesday had noted some "encouraging developments" since the 5 September ceasefire was agreed, an EU spokeswoman said. | EU ambassadors who met on Tuesday had noted some "encouraging developments" since the 5 September ceasefire was agreed, an EU spokeswoman said. |
| But other parts of the peace deal "will need to be properly implemented", said the spokeswoman, Maja Kocijancic. | But other parts of the peace deal "will need to be properly implemented", said the spokeswoman, Maja Kocijancic. |
| The sanctions target senior Russian officials, as well as Russia's oil industry, defence firms and banks. | |
| Western governments and the Ukrainian authorities in Kiev accuse Russia of supplying the separatist rebels in eastern Ukraine with heavy weapons and soldiers. | Western governments and the Ukrainian authorities in Kiev accuse Russia of supplying the separatist rebels in eastern Ukraine with heavy weapons and soldiers. |
| Russia denies the allegations. | |
| EU and US sanctions have been in place since Russia's annexation of Crimea in March. | |
| At least 3,200 people have died in fighting since April in Ukraine's Donetsk and Luhansk regions, and thousands of civilians have fled the conflict. | At least 3,200 people have died in fighting since April in Ukraine's Donetsk and Luhansk regions, and thousands of civilians have fled the conflict. |
| A shaky ceasefire has held since 5 September, and the two sides have since agreed to set up a 30km (19-mile) buffer zone. | |
| But there have been frequent flare-ups of violence. | |
| At least seven Ukrainian soldiers died in a clash with pro-Russian rebels near Donetsk airport on Monday - the deadliest single incident for the military since the truce deal. | |
| A tank shell hit the vehicle carrying the troops, officials said. | |
| More heavy shelling was reported on Tuesday in the Donetsk airport area. | More heavy shelling was reported on Tuesday in the Donetsk airport area. |
| Last week Ukraine's Prime Minister, Arseniy Yatsenyuk, told the UN General Assembly that Russian troops were still operating in eastern Ukraine. | |
| He urged the West not to lift sanctions until his country regained control of all its territory. | |
| Both the US and the EU have said sanctions could be lifted if the situation on the ground improves sufficiently. |