Kremlin Denies Putin, Hollande Discussed Removal of EU Sanctions

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his French counterpart Francois Hollande did not discuss the issue of lifting EU sanctions against Russia during their last meeting, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters Friday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Hollande visited Moscow on Thursday to hold talks with Putin. The two leaders discussed the global anti-terrorism fight, in particular joint efforts to combat the Islamic State militant group.

"The issue of sanctions was not raised. This has not been the subject of yesterday's talks," Peskov said.

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius suggested earlier on Friday that the two leaders had discussed the sanctions issue "just a bit." According to Fabius, Hollande during his visit to Moscow told Putin that the European Union could lift sanctions against Russia, but this would depend on fulfilling the Minsk agreements for a Ukraine peace settlement.

The European Union and the United States imposed a series of sanctions against Russia beginning in 2014, accusing Moscow of interference in Ukraine's internal affairs.

Russia has repeatedly denied the allegations, stating a desire for a diplomatic settlement of the conflict and contributing to the Ukrainian peace process.