Cameron: Western Anti-Russia Sanctions to Stay Until Minsk Deal Implemented

Western sanctions against Russia will remain in place until the eastern Ukraine ceasefire agreement is implemented, British Prime Minister David Cameron said Monday

LONDON (Sputnik) – The British Prime Minister, told UK lawmakers, commenting on last week's European Council meeting in Brussels:

"We also discussed the situation in the Ukraine… and agreed the need to maintain the pressure of sanctions on Russia until the Minsk agreement has been fully implemented."

The prime minister said the EU leaders welcomed the progress made so far in de-escalating tensions as part of the Minsk ceasefire deal.

On Wednesday, US Secretary of State John Kerry suggested that anti-Russia sanctions could be lifted if the parties continued to observe the ceasefire agreement.

The European Union, like the United States, imposed a series of restrictive measures against Russia, accusing it of interfering in the conflict between government and independence forces in southeastern Ukraine. Moscow denies the allegations, countering that it was an instrumental party in negotiating the Minsk agreement.

Over the weekend, the Fitch Ratings agency assessed the risk of additional anti-Russia sanctions as diminished. A source close to the EU leadership, meanwhile, said last week that the issue of additional anti-Russia sanctions would be addressed at a summit in December.