The leaders of Ukraine, France, Germany and Russia brokered a new deal on Ukraine reconciliation Thursday after a 16-hour summit in Minsk. The 13-point agreement includes a ceasefire between Kiev and pro-independence forces from Saturday night, the withdrawal of heavy weapons and a prisoner exchange.
"At the moment, of course, extending of sanctions is not discussed. If, in the best case, this [realization of Minsk agreements] actually occurs step by step, then we are ready to get rid of sanctions," Tuomioja told Finnish broadcaster Yle on Thursday.
On Thursday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel announced that a new round of sanctions the European Union adopted against 19 individuals, including five Russian citizens and nine entities, would come into force on February 16.
The European Union, the United States and other Western countries have imposed several rounds of sanctions against Russia over its alleged involvement in the Ukrainian conflict. The restrictions target the country's defense, energy and finance sectors, as well as several individuals.
Last month, EU foreign ministers decided to keep existing sanctions in force until September, but did not impose any new measures.
