Dutch FM: Pressure, sanctions against Russia still needed

Extending the European sanctions against Russia is inevitable and necessary. The pressure on Moscow has to be kept as high as possible. This is according to Minister Bert Koenders of Foreign Affairs, RTL Nieuws reports. Koenders and his European Union colleagues had a meeting in Luxembourg on Monday regarding the sanctions against Russian interference in the Ukraine. They decided to extend the sanctions until end January next year as they believe that Russia still plays a destabilizing role in eastern Ukraine. Earlier this year the ministers decided to link the sanctions to the compliance with the peace agreement in Minsk. "With today's decision, we keep the pressure on Russia as high as possible to effectively put steps in place", Koenders said.