Germany backs extending EU sanctions against Russia: Merkel

Reuters
German Chancellor Angela Merkel attends a session at the lower house of parliament Bundestag in Berlin, Germany December 12, 2018. REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch

BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany will back an extension of the European Union's punitive sanctions against Russia at an upcoming summit of EU leaders, Chancellor Angela Merkel told lawmakers on Wednesday. Russia's detention of three Ukrainian military vessels and their crews in the Kerch Strait - a body of water shared between the two countries - has led to widespread calls in Europe and the U.S. for sanctions against Moscow to be toughened. (Reporting by Thomas Escritt and Paul Carrel; Editing by Michelle Martin)