EU envoys have agreed a six-month rollover of the bloc’s economic sanctions on Russia.
They were brought in last year over the Ukraine conflict – which is said to have killed more than 9,000 people.
Measures are set to be extended on energy, banking and defence sectors until the end of July 2016.
The decision will become final on Monday – unless any member state changes its position and lodges a formal objection.
Meanwhile, the European Commission is backing visa-free, short-stay travel to the EU for Ukraine – as well as Georgia and Kosovo.
The news for Kyiv comes after the Commission’s Jean-Claude Juncker met Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko to iron out the last remaining issues.
Formal, legislative proposals are expected to be presented to the European Council and Parliament early in the new year.
“The Commission recommends visa liberalisation for Georgia, Kosovo and Ukraine. I call on on EU governments in the Council to take a speedy decision for these three co
