09:55 13.12.2017

Russia sanctions not to be lifted until Ukraine's territorial integrity restored

2 min read
Russia sanctions not to be lifted until Ukraine's territorial integrity restored

U.S. sanctions against Russia will be preserved until the territorial integrity of Ukraine is restored, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said.

"And that is the basis for the very stringent sanctions regime that the U.S. and Europe imposed on Russia as a result of that invasion, and that regime will not change until Russia's invasion of Ukraine is resolved and Ukraine's territorial integrity is returned," Rex Tillerson said speaking at the Atlantic Council in Washington.

Tillerson noted that "when you invade another country and take their territory, we cannot – that cannot be left to stand." This was the reason for imposing sanctions against Russia, and it also became an obstacle to the improvement of relations between the two countries.

According to him, the priority issue is the "cessation of violence" in Donbas, the level of which, according to his information, increased by 60% in comparison with 2016.

The U.S. Secretary of State said that Washington and Moscow are working to resolve the issue of introducing UN peacekeepers into Eastern Ukraine.

Tillerson also said that Kyiv should also "do a lot" for the implementation of the Minsk agreements and the settlement of the situation in the east of the country.

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