European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated in an interview with LCI that the European Union will not remove sanctions on Russia until the war in Ukraine is fully over.
She also emphasized that Ukraine alone will decide what constitutes a lasting peace. According to her, Kyiv needs security guarantees to prevent another war with Russia, EU Neighbours East reports.
“Keep up the pressure on Russia. It was very clear that the sanctions stay in place. What we want is a just and lasting peace agreement. That is the goal," von der Leyen said at the Paris summit on 27 March.
Earlier, French President Emmanuel Macron stated that the time to lift sanctions on Russia had not yet come. He added that leaders from more than 20 nations unanimously agreed that sanctions against Moscow should not be eased until peace in Ukraine is clearly established, per The Guardian.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer emphasized the absolute clarity on the need to reject lifting sanctions, adding that leaders are instead discussing ways to strengthen them to support the US initiative to bring Russia to negotiations through increased pressure.
In a separate briefing, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz reiterated that lifting sanctions on Russia would be a serious mistake. It makes no sense until peace is actually achieved—and "unfortunately, we are still a long way from that."
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