1ST LEAD EU paves the way for six-month extension of Russia economic sanctions By Helen Maguire, dpa

Brussels (dpa) - The EU‘s economic sanctions against Russia will likely stay in place for another six months after the bloc‘s ambassadors agreed Tuesday to prolong them, according to a diplomat speaking to dpa on condition of anonymity.The European Union has imposed restrictive measures on Moscow because of its annexation of the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea in 2014 and its alleged support for pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine.The ambassadors‘ decision, which is expected to be formalized on Friday, relates to the toughest of sanctions imposed by the bloc on Moscow. They hamper Russian imports into the EU and Russian banks‘ access to European markets.The sanctions are currently in place until the end of July. Tuesday‘s decision paves the way for them to be prolonged until the end of January.All 28 ambassadors agreed in principle to the move, but at least two member states - France and Britain - said they want to consult first with their national parliaments before giving the final go-ahead, an EU diplomat said.On Monday, French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault called for EU leaders to review the implementation of a ceasefire deal in eastern Ukraine at their summit next week, and to discuss possible offers that could be made if there is real, significant progress."I think that, if we can give some signs of encouragement to everyone, that could be useful," Ayrault told journalists in Luxembourg after a meeting with his EU counterparts.The sanctions have severely strained relations between Brussels and Moscow, and have proven controversial because of inflicting economic pain both on Russia and the EU.The bloc has linked the measures to the ceasefire deal for eastern Ukraine - known as the Minsk agreement - which keeps getting violated.