European leaders and President Barack Obama on Friday will discuss extending sanctions imposed on Russia for its intervention in Ukraine, and possible new sanctions for its bombing in Syria, sources familiar with the plans said, according to Reuters.
The meeting in Berlin, hosted by German Chancellor Angela Merkel and including the leaders of Britain, France, Italy and Spain, comes a little over a week after Donald Trump`s victory in the U.S. presidential election, Reuters reports.
Trump has indicated that he will seek a rapprochement with Russia, raising doubts in Europe about the future of the sanctions regime introduced by Washington and Brussels in 2014 following Russia`s intervention in eastern Ukraine.
A German official said the plan was to agree a rollover of EU sanctions against Russia, which are due to expire at the end of January, in the coming weeks.
There is concern that Trump might move in the opposite direction after his inauguration on Jan. 20. European leaders will therefore be seeking clarity from Obama, who met Trump last week and said afterward the president-elect would maintain core relationships around the world, including with NATO.
Obama arrived in Berlin on Wednesday evening after visiting Greece.
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