Lithuanian Foreign Minister Hopes New Sanctions Against Russia Will Enter into Force in Near Future
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Linas Linkevičius expressed hope that the new sanctions against Russia agreed by the European Union will enter into force in the near future, but did not rule out the possibility of the postponement for several days.
It is reported by Censor.NET citing Interfax-Ukraine.
According to him, there are fears that the immediate imposition of sanctions could lead to the disruption of the cease fire in Ukraine.
"I do not think so, but I represent and understand those who believe that if we, say, introduce sanctions, we will stop this fragile truce (...). I understand this way (to postpone sanctions), but we are in their favor and we have grounds for them, they have been agreed, and I hope that in the near future their implementation will begin," the Minister told BNS agency on Tuesday.
He noted that we need clear signs of de-escalation of the conflict in Ukraine in order not to impose the new sanctions. "We should have very clear signs of de-escalation, that the situation is indeed stabilizing, we should clearly see the withdrawal of troops and the suppression of unauthorized, illegal armed groups. I have a hard time imagining that it could happen. But there must be clear signs of de-escalation, which we have not yet seen," Linkevičius said.
Read also: Washington Insists on Further US and EU Sanctions Against Russia
At the same time, he called the release of over a thousand hostages within the truce framework a positive step.
The new sanctions will come into force when they are announced in the Official Journal of the EU, and it may take several days.
