EU to look into extending Russia sanctions next week - sources

European Union flags flutter outside the European Commission headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, June 4, 2015. REUTERS/Francois Lenoir

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union is due to extend its economic sanctions on Russia over the conflict in Ukraine for six months next week, diplomatic sources said, though this stance could be softened later on.

The EU imposed sanctions on Russia after Moscow annexed Crimea from Kiev in March 2014 and stepped them up later that year as the Kremlin backed rebels fighting Ukrainian troops in eastern Ukraine. More than 9,000 people have been killed.