EU Set to Ban Imports from Annexed Crimea

The European Union is expected to announce a ban on imports from Crimea next week in response to Russia's annexation of the Ukrainian territory, two sources told Agence France Presse on Wednesday.

EU foreign ministers meeting in Luxembourg on Monday are likely to agree a move to ban imports from Crimea as from next week, notably its wine, said an EU diplomat speaking on condition of anonymity.

A second diplomat said there was general agreement by the 28 EU countries to go ahead with the ban and that diplomats were continuing discussions on the situation in Ukraine.

At talks in mid May, EU foreign ministers ramped up sanctions over the Ukrainian crisis, adding 13 people and two Crimean firms to an existing blacklist.

In all, the EU has targeted 61 Russians and Ukrainians with sanctions but has stopped short of introducing broader punitive measures against banks or the energy sector that would hit Russia's economy but also hurt many in Europe.