Barack Obama
US President Barack Obama and EU leaders meeting in Berlin have agreed on its position on anti-Russian sanctions and came to the conclusion that restrictive measures should remain in force. The head of the American state said during a joint press conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, said on the White house website.
According to Obama, the sanctions against Moscow must be maintained as long as it is not fulfilling its part of the Minsk agreements.
In the meeting, in addition to the American leader and head of government of Germany, was attended by the President of France Francois Hollande, Prime Minister Theresa may, Italian and Spanish leaders Matteo Renzi and Mariano Rajoy.
1 July, the EU extended economic sanctions against Russia until 31 January 2017. On the same day, Prime Minister of Russia Dmitry Medvedev signed a decree on extension of counter-sanctions on August 6, 2016 to December 31, 2017.
A number of countries, including the USA and member States of the European Union has imposed restrictive measures against Moscow in 2014, linking them with joining of Crimea to Russia, and then the conflict in the South-East of Ukraine. In response, Moscow August 6, 2014, imposed an embargo on the import of products from these countries.
The Russian authorities have repeatedly stated that I consider absurd to be linked to Western sanctions with the implementation of the Minsk agreements, because Russia is not a party to the conflict and the subject of the agreements on the settlement in Ukraine.