Merkel keen to lift Russian sanctions, but not until Ukraine is resolved
The German and Russian leaders meet in Russia where Putin denies interfering in US elections and confirms he wants UN oversight for peaceful Syria solution
Sochi — On Tuesday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that EU sanctions on Russia would have to stay, given the lack of progress in resolving the simmering conflict in Ukraine. Addressing a joint press conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Black Sea resort of Sochi, Merkel said a ceasefire was required as part of the so-called Minsk process for restoring peace in eastern Ukraine and appealed to Putin to make it happen. Merkel said she would like to be able to lift the economic penalties, but the Minsk process remained "arduous" with small steps forward and back. The Russian and German leaders have scaled back links as Moscow’s ties with the EU plunged to a post-Cold War low over the crisis in eastern Ukraine. Moscow has responded with an embargo on agricultural products from the West. "My goal remains to get to the point where we can lift EU sanctions," Merkel said. "But there’s a link here." Merkel, who met with US President Donald Trump at the White House in M...
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