German Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel has said that the sanctions against Russia will not be lifted until the return of Crimea to Ukraine.
“We discussed the process regarding Ukraine’s sovereignty and its restoration, talked about Donetsk and Luhansk. Unfortunately, no progress has been made lately. Sanctions are not lifted until Crimea returns to Ukraine,” Merkel said at a joint briefing with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Berlin on Tuesday.
Later, answering journalists’ questions, the German Chancellor noted that this was not about strengthening sanctions, but about preserving them.
“We believe that the Council of Europe should achieve unity and accept it by a single vote,” said Merkel.
