Peskov: Moscow is following the discussion of sanctions against Russia with great interest
Dmitry Peskov, Russian diplomat and Press Secretary for Russian President Vladimir Putin, stated that the Kremlin is following the issue on sanctions against Russia with great interest, but Moscow itself will not discuss this issue.
“We watch with great interest how the issue on sanctions is being discussed by all the countries, which are all taking on serious losses because of these sanctions,” TASS quoted Peskov as saying. “We continue to treat the allegations or, more correctly, attempts to link the issue on sanctions against Russia with the issue on implementation of Minsk Agreements as a deep misunderstanding
According to Peskov, statements that sanctions can be lifted over time only after implementation of agreements look absurd and illogical. “Russia isn’t a party to the Agreement and Russia can’t implement the Minsk Agreements because that isn’t what the Minsk Agreements were all about,” Peskov stressed.
Earlier, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini, expressed her assumption that European sanctions against Russia will be extended in July. Mogherini attributes her point of view to the fact that the Minsk Agreements on resolution of the Ukrainian crisis have yet to be implemented. Meanwhile, she noted that the resolution of the conflict depends not only on Moscow but also on Kiev.
Mogherini indicated that Russia isn’t a strategic partner for the European Union but it is still a strategic country. She explained that EU Member States work with Moscow in three areas where they have common interests, namely Syria, Iran and Libya.