MOSCOW (Sputnik), Daria Chernyshova — Sanctions against Russia signify confrontation while partnership between the European Union and Russia is urgently needed, a German lawmaker from Die Linke party told Sputnik Thursday.
EU leaders convened in Brussels on Thursday to discuss the issue of anti-Russia sanctions. The economic restrictions on Russia's energy, defense and banking sectors are currently scheduled to end in July 2015.
“We were always against sanctions,” Gabriele Zimmer who is also the head of Group of the European United Left — Nordic Green Left in the European Parliament told Sputnik. “They are an element of confrontation policies and not policies of détente which are urgently needed.”
She also stressed Russia’s role in the Minsk 2 deal, worked out by the leaders of Ukraine, Germany, France and Russia in February to find a peaceful solution to the conflict in Ukraine.
“Minsk 2 agreement would not have been possible without the contribution of the Russian government. But, the urgently needed de-escalation depends on all parties involved, also Russia,” Zimmer said asking the Russian government to ensure that the OSCE has full access to the conflict regions.
Speaking ahead of the EU summit, German Chancellor Angela Merkel linked the lifting of sanctions to the implementation of the ceasefire deal in Ukraine.
Ties between Russia and the European Union have soured over the past year after Brussels introduced several rounds of sanctions against Moscow over its alleged interference in the Ukraine crisis.
In response to Western sanctions, in August 2014 Moscow introduced a ban on the import of a range of food items from the countries that supported the restrictions.
