“The position of the government has not changed: substantial progress is needed in the implementation of the Minsk agreements so that we can reflect on the weakening or lifting of sanctions. We are trying our best to work to achieve this progress, ”said the official representative of the Cabinet of Germany, Steffen Seibert.
He noted the need to establish a sustainable ceasefire in the Donbass, the withdrawal of heavy weapons and the withdrawal of forces on the contact line.
“We need to go further, we are working on this. “Minsk” should be realized – to a large extent and in its important points. We are clearly far from this”, – Seibert stated.
The representative of the German Foreign Ministry, Rainer Broglie, recalled that “this is not about German sanctions, but EU sanctions”.
“We are talking about a joint EU position. Our position is clear: Minsk agreements should be implemented fully, not only part of them. Sanctions are tied to this. The parties know which parts of the agreement are awaiting implementation”, – Brogl said.