Linking Western sanctions against Russia to the implementation of the Minsk agreements is absurd, Vladimir Putin’s spokesman Dmitriy Peskov has said, according to RIA News”.
‘We don’t intend to bring it up with anyone. Still, it’s unclear why anti-Russian sanctions are linked to the Minsk deal. Statements implying that sanctions may be lifted after the implementation of Minsk agreements are absurd’, - Peskov said.
He claimed that Russia is not to blame for the conflict in Donbas: ‘Russia cannot implement the agreements alone. The Minsk deal implies obligations for both sides of the conflict, first of all – for Kyiv, but we still see Ukraine’s reluctance to commit to these obligations’.
Earlier, Ukraine’s President Petro Poroshenko urged G7 member states to prolong anti-Russian sanctions.
A number of Western countries have introduced several rounds of economic sanctions against Russian individuals and entities since Russia seized Crimea in March 2014