Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of EU sanctions against the Russian Federation.

EU sanctions are delivering a significant cost to Russia for its actions in Ukraine. The fall in the global oil price has driven an economic slump in Russia, including a shrinking economy and sharply declining currency. The wide-ranging restrictions of EU and US economic sanctions are exacerbating these negative trends. Sanctions are an important element of the range of diplomatic measures we are undertaking to effect a change in Russia’s behaviour, including to compel Russia to fulfil its obligations under the Minsk agreements. The EU stands ready to impose additional measures if necessary.