Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Pavlo Klimkin has said that it may become possible to talk about lifting of sanctions against Russia after its fulfillment of the Minsk agreements. In case Moscow fails to fulfill them, we should toughen them.

"We need the sanctions to force Russia to fulfill the 'Minsk'. If it complies with 'Minsk', then we can start talking about sanctions lifting and about other things on the part of the European Union," Klimkin said at joint briefing with Kurz [OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Austrian Federal Minister for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs Sebastian Kurz] briefing in Mariupol on Wednesday.

Ukrainian foreign minister noted that the idea of lifting the sanctions after fulfillment of the Minsk agreements is not a new one.

"When 'Minsk' is fulfilled, then the sanctions are removed, when it is not fulfilled, then we must find the means, perhaps, of strengthening of sanctions, or other means of pressure to make Russia fulfill its obligations," Klimkin said.

He added that those sanctions, which were imposed on Russia in connection with the occupation of Crimea, should not be removed.