Britain and Germany Actively Discussing Extending Eropean Union Russia Sanctions

Britain and Germany are actively discussing maintaining and extending European Union sanctions on Russia in case there is no breakthrough in the Ukrainian peace process soon, British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said today.

"We are actively discussing the maintenance of and the extension of the sanctions regime with the Germans," Mr Hammond told parliament, saying he favoured rolling over the existing measures until the end of the year.

"Of course they (the Germans) want to explore the opportunity that tomorrow's meeting, if it goes ahead, may offer," he said, referring to planned Ukraine peace talks on Wednesday. "But the Germans, and the German Chancery in particular, is robust on this issue," he added.