Deputy Secretary of State: The US will not lift sanctions on Russia
The US Deputy Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, has said that the US will not lift the sanctions against Russia until Moscow has fulfilled all of their commitments under the Minsk Agreements. Ukrinform reported that Blinken made these statements during a meeting with the Romanian media in Bucharest.
“We stand by our previous decision that sanctions imposed against Russia by the US and the European Union will only be lifted once Moscow fulfills all of their commitments under the Minsk Agreements,” Blinken said.
He added that “even the ceasefire agreements are being constantly violated in eastern Ukraine”.
Blinken noted that “for a long time after the end of the cold war, the US had supported Russia’s integration into international institutions and until recently, has been the most enthusiastic supporter of Russia joining the WTO”.
According to Blinken, “Russia’s interference in the internal affairs of Georgia and Ukraine not only violated the territorial integrity of these countries, but also undermined the basis of international law and world order”.