Anti-Russian Sanctions to Be Lifted After Full Minsk Deal Implementation

EU economic sanctions against Russia will remain in place until the Minsk agreement on Ukraine is implemented in full, President of the European Council Donald Tusk said.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Last week, EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said in an interview with German newspaper Die Welt that she expected that European sanctions against Russia would be extended after July.

"EU stays the course on Russia incl. economic sanctions unchanged as long as Minsk Agreement not fully implemented," Tusk wrote on Twitter after a joint press conference with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker ahead of the G7 summit in Ise-Shima, Japan.

The United States, the EU and some of their allies have imposed several rounds of sanctions targeting key sectors of the Russian economy, as well as a number of individuals and entities, over Crimea’s reunification with Russia and Moscow's alleged interference in the conflict between Kiev and independence militia in eastern Ukraine.

Russia has repeatedly refuted the allegations, warning that the Western sanctions are counterproductive. In response to the restrictive measures, Russia has imposed a food embargo on some products originating in countries that have targeted it with sanctions.

The latest round of Western punitive measures against Russia is up for extension among EU members before the July 31 expiration deadline.