EU Council officials had drafted the legal act. EU capitals had given the nod. The scene was set for ambassadors, in Brussels on Wednesday (9 December), to extend, without further ado, the EU’s economic sanctions on Russia for six months.
Then Italy said No.
An EU source familiar with Rome’s position told EUobserver: “[They’re] not blocking anything. [They] say the issue deserves a political discussion. There’s no objection in principle. But the issue deserves at least five minu...
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Andrew Rettman is EUobserver's foreign editor, writing about foreign and security issues since 2005. He is Polish, but grew up in the UK, and lives in Brussels. He has also written for The Guardian, The Times of London, and Intelligence Online.