The General Court of the European Union upheld sanctions imposed on several Russian oil companies and banks after the annexation of Crimea in 2014 and Russia’s involvement in the Ukraine crisis, Reuters reports, citing a statement by the court. “The General Court of the EU upholds restrictive measures adopted by the Council against a number of Russian banks and oil and gas companies in connection with the crisis in Ukraine,” the statement read. The EU initially imposed sanctions on Russian energy companies and banks, including Rosneft, Gazprom Neft, Sberbank, VTB Bank, after Moscow annexed the Crimean Peninsula after a referendum in early 2014. Later, the EU tightened the punitive measures after Russia offered military support for anti-government rebels in eastern Ukraine. Last month, the UK tried to convince the EU to add more sanctions against Russia, using the argument that the EU should stand “shoulder to shoulder” with the […]