German Chancellor Angela Merkel has announced that it is ?€?too early?€? to discuss lifting the European Union's sanctions on Russia, the Reuters news agency reported Thursday.
Her statement is one of several made by high-ranking officials and politicians indicating that sanctions introduced as a result of Russia's role in the Ukrainian conflict are unlikely to be lifted in the near future.
Merkel made the statement at the G7 summit in Japan, a meeting that Russia is currently excluded from attending.
Head of the European Council Donald Tusk also used the high-level talks as a platform to discuss the measures, saying before the event that he was ?€?quite sure?€? sanctions would be extended.
"I want to state clearly that our stance vis-a-vis Russia, including economic sanctions, will remain unchanged as long as the Minsk agreements are not fully implemented," Tusk said.
Earlier in the week, EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said that she believed that sanctions against Russia would be extended.
"EU governments have tied the lifting of the sanctions to a full implementation of the Minsk agreements. So far, this has not happened," Mogherini told the German Die Welt newspaper, Reuters reported.
The current raft of sanctions were extended by Brussels at the end of December. The decision to continue the sanctions will be made at the end of June and must be agreed unanimously by all 28 member states.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.