The European Commission stressed that the withdrawal of all russian troops from Ukraine would be one of the main conditions for lifting or changing EU sanctions against the aggressor state of russia.
This is reported by Reuters.
Thus, on Tuesday, the United States concluded separate agreements with Ukraine and russia to stop attacks at sea and against energy facilities, while Washington agreed to insist on the lifting of some sanctions against moscow.
The EU was not invited to these negotiations. The Commission stated that the EU welcomes the agreement between Washington and Kyiv.
"The end of the Russian unprovoked and unjustified aggression in Ukraine and unconditional withdrawal of all Russian military forces from the entire territory of Ukraine would be one of the main preconditions to amend or lift sanctions," EU spokeswoman for foreign affairs and security policy, Anitta Hipper, said in a statement.
Russia said on Tuesday that the United States had agreed to help it lift a series of Western sanctions and restrictions on food, fertilizer and shipping companies as a precondition for a deal on maritime security in the Black Sea.
Diplomats told Reuters that most of the restrictions listed by the kremlin were related to European Union sanctions and restrictions.
The Commission added that the bloc has no sanctions targeting agricultural goods, but has “prohibitive tariffs” on grain products imported from russia and Belarus that came into effect on July 1.
Further tariffs on other agricultural goods, as well as some fertilizers, are still being discussed.
In late January and earlier this month, European Union countries extended two sets of sanctions against russia for another six months. Any changes to the sanctions require unanimity among the 27 EU member states.
"Russia must now demonstrate genuine political will to end its illegal and unprovoked war of aggression. Experience has shown that Russia must be judged by its actions, not by its words," Hipper added.
As the Ukrainian News agency earlier reported, Advisor to the President of Ukraine Dmytro Lytvyn announced that since March 18, when putin allegedly ordered to stop strikes on Ukraine's energy infrastructure, at least eight hits on Ukrainian energy facilities have been recorded.
Meanwhile, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine stressed that the statements of the Ministry of Defense of the aggressor country russia about Ukraine's alleged violation of the ceasefire conditions regarding energy facilities do not correspond to reality.
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