BERLIN, June 1 (Sputnik) — German Chancellor Angela Merkel sees no reason to lift or ease sanctions against Russia, the European Union will make that decision, German government spokeswoman Christiane Wirt said Wednesday.
"The German Government insists on the implementation of the 'road map' — the Minsk agreements. Thus, at the current moment, according to the Chancellor, there are no reasons for a discussion on the lifting or easing of sanctions," she said.
Moscow's relations with the West deteriorated in 2014 over the Ukrainian crisis, when the European Union along with the United States as well as several other countries imposed several rounds of sanctions against Russia, accusing it of meddling in Ukrainian internal affairs, which Moscow has repeatedly denied.
