Poroshenko calls for extending sanctions against Russia

15:42, 06.04.2016 1 min read

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko insists that the West should lift its sanctions from Russia only after Crimea and Donbas are returned to Kyiv's jurisdiction.

"I dream that all countries should support Ukraine and lift the sanctions only when Russia pulls out its troops, when peace and stability settle in my country, and when the Russian troops leave Crimea," Poroshenko said in taking questions from foreign journalists at the Japanese National Press Club in Tokyo on Wednesday.

The sanctions are closely interrelated with the observance of the Minsk Agreements by Russia, he said.

"I am absolutely sure that Ukraine will be among the key issues on the agenda of the meeting of the G7 leaders. We are discussing, and they will be discussing, efficient instruments to motivate Russia to implement the Minsk Agreements, withdraw its forces, and restore Ukraine's sovereignty over the occupied territory. The sanctions are a tool," Poroshenko said.