Poroshenko calls for sanctions against Russia to be prolonged until full implementation of Minsk agreements
STOCKHOLM. Nov 14 (Interfax) - Sanctions against Russia should be prolonged, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said.
"If the Minsk agreements are not implemented and if Russian troops stay in the territory of Ukraine and if observers from the OSCE are not granted access to the occupied territories, if there is no full ceasefire and heavy weapons withdrawal, if they continue killing Ukrainians, the sanctions should stay in place," Poroshenko said on Monday after negotiations with Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven in Stockholm on Monday.
The Russian political and military administration earlier repeatedly denied the allegations by Kyiv and the West on the presence of Russian troops in eastern Ukraine.
Poroshenko also said Ukraine has suggested the European Union prolong the sanctions against Russia by one year instead of by six months in the future. "It seems to me it will be effective if sanctions are introduced for one year, not for six months. And we have already made this proposal to our European partners," Poroshenko said.
Responding to a question about the prospects of prolonging the sanctions against Russia after the U.S. presidential elections, the president said: "These sanctions are associated with the Minsk agreements." "Ukraine has received resolute support from the U.S.: there were clear statements from the Republican and Democratic parties regarding the fact that the only reason for lifting the sanctions will be full implementation of the Minsk agreements, troops withdrawal and restoration of control over the Ukrainian border," Poroshenko said.