Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has said that he is almost confident that the sanctions against the Russian Federation will not be lifted, but there is a risk of their easing.

"Of course there is an unpleasant after-taste, but on the other hand, it is extremely important that sanctions against Moscow are now connected not only to Ukraine. Why? This means that there comes an absolutely sober understanding that Russia is not only our problem. It is a threat to the entire civilized world," he said on Thursday morning from the rostrum of the Verkhovna Rada, addressing the parliament with an annual message about the internal and external situation in Ukraine.

At the same time, he said: "We will be persistent in resisting attempts to easing sanctions pressure on Russia."

According to him, the tactical task of the Kremlin is the lifting of sanctions in January next year under the pretext of allegedly not fulfilling the Minsk accords by Ukraine.

"And I think that we should destroy this scenario. I am almost convinced that we will not allow sanctions to be lifted, but you should know that there is a risk of easing them," Poroshenko said.