OREANDA-NEWS. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky during a telephone conversation with the head of the European Council, Charles Michel, expressed hope for maintaining solidarity in the European Union in support of the continuation of the sanctions policy against the Russian Federation.

Zelensky’s press service said that the talks took place on the eve of the meeting of the European Council, during which, as it is expected, EU leaders will discuss the issue of extending economic sanctions against Russia.

“I hope that the leaders of the EU member states will remain united in supporting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, as well as in continuing the sanction pressure on the Russian Federation,” the Ukrainian President said to Michel. Zelensky added that sanctions should be maintained until the Minsk Agreements are implemented and the territorial integrity of Ukraine is restored.

Several hours earlier, Bloomberg agency, citing an unnamed European official, said that EU member states at a meeting on December 12 were going to extend sanctions against Russia for six months. This is an economic package of measures that was extended last summer until January 31, 2020.

Before that, German Minister of Foreign Affairs, Heiko Maas, said that the time for lifting anti-Russian sanctions had not come yet. His position was supported by the High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, who promised not to ease the sanction pressure on Russia in order to maintain the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine.