British Foreign Minister Boris Johnson has opposed the easing of European sanctions against Russia.

He said Britain will insist on the fact that there are no reasons to mitigate the sanctions now. It is necessary to continue putting pressure on Russia, the minister told journalists on the eve of the EU Council on Foreign Affairs in Brussels.

The same view was expressed by head of the Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius.

The sanctions need to be maintained, as we see no reasons for their lifting, Linkevicius said.

For his part, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Spain Alfonso Dastis also stated the importance of keeping sanctions against the Russian Federation. It is necessary to achieve full implementation of the Minsk agreements. It will be possible to review the sanctions policy only under this condition, the head of the Foreign Ministry told journalists in Brussels.