Kerry names conditions for easing sanctions against Russia

Wednesday, October 15, 2014 - 13:05 (EEST) Section: Latest news

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has put forward conditions for Russia regarding a possible easing of sanctions imposed by the West.
He said this at a press conference in Paris after talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Ukrinform’s correspondent reported.
“There are four to five principal requirements with respect to the lifting of sanctions: the release of hostages, the release of all prisoners is one; the withdrawal of the forces, troops and equipment particularly is another; the closing of the border and accountability of the border through the OSCE process is another,” Kerry said.
He said that Russian troops were currently pulling back from the border, but “the heavy equipment still has to be pulled back.”
He also expressed hope that on the basis of an agreement reached in Minsk further talks would be held between Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and Russian President Vladimir Putin. “There will be a further meeting this Thursday in Milan, Italy, at which President Poroshenko, President Putin will be present together with [French] President [Francois] Hollande and [German] Chancellor [Angela] Merkel and possibly others. And they will then be reviewing these requirements as well as the gas deal and other things,” Kerry said. In his opinion, it is necessary to wait for the meeting and its results.
As reported, during talks in Paris, Sergei Lavrov tried to convince John Kerry of the need to lift sanctions against Russia, the introduction of which has a significant impact on the country’s economy and will have a lasting impact. Before leaving for Paris, he told Russian journalists that Russia still “does not know who loses more in economic terms: Russia or the European Union.”