Russian Minister of Economic Development Alexey Ulyukayev stated that Russia is determined to lift the mutual sanctions with the European Union. However, the European partners themselves have not yet demonstrated good will regarding this issue.

“The best proposal would be a mutual refusal from these restrictions. We would welcome it but unfortunately, our partners, including European partners, have not demonstrated the proper good will,” Ulyukayev said at the meeting with Italian entrepreneurs, …

The Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, said that Moscow rejects the accusations that Russia seeks to maintain the conflict in Ukraine.

"Russia is interested in resolving the conflict near its borders, more than anyone else, despite the fact that periodically you hear the assertions that we want to artificially drag out the conflict, keeping it in a frozen state forever. This is an attempt to shift the blame on others," the Minister said, speaking at the Potsdam meetings at the Alexander …

The European Union agreed on the introduction of new personal sanctions against Crimean officials, Reuters reports, indicating that this decision was based on the accession of the Crimea to Russia.

According to the newspaper Delfi, the decision was made at the request of Lithuania and was formally approved at a meeting of the Economic and Financial Affairs Council of the Council of the European Union.

It was noted that the sanctions will affect the six deputies of the State Duma who were …