On Saturday, the foreign ministers of the so-called Normandy Quartet, comprising Russia, Germany, France and Ukraine, met in Berlin to discuss the peaceful solution to the conflict in eastern Ukraine within the framework of the February Minsk deal, including a ceasefire, weaponry withdrawal, local elections and constitutional reforms.
"Our idea, the idea of the French – if we succeed at solving these issues [ceasefire and holding of local elections in the southeastern Ukrainian region of Donbass] we will be willing to lift the sanctions," Fabius said.
The European Union, the United States and some other Western countries have imposed several rounds of sanctions on Russia, accusing Moscow of violating the territorial integrity of Ukraine and interfering in the Donbas conflict. Russia has repeatedly refuted the accusations.
