BRUSSELS, July 5 (Xinhua) -- The European Union (EU) on Thursday stated that it prolonged economic sanctions targeting specific sectors of the Russian economy until Jan. 31, 2019.

This decision follows an update from French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel to the European Council last week on the state of implementation of the Minsk agreements, to which the sanctions are linked.

The measures target the financial, energy and defense sectors, and the area of dual-use goods, the EU said in a press release.

The EU slapped sanctions on Russia in July and September 2014 in response to an alleged role that Russia had played in conflicts in east Ukraine. In March 2015, EU leaders decided to align existing sanctions to the full implementation of the Minsk agreements.