Germany promises Russia that sanctions will remain until Crimea is returned
The anti-Russian sanctions will be maintained until the reason they were introduced is eliminated. A statement to this effect was made by German Minister of Economic Affairs and Energy Peter Altmeier in an interview with the German radio station Deutschlandfunk.
He drew attention to the fact that the sanction pressure on Russia was initiated following the Kremlin’s decision to annex the Crimean peninsula.
“After the annexation of Crimea, we Europeans introduced sanctions together with the US. They will be in effect for as long as the reason persists,” Altmeier said before his visit to Moscow, which is scheduled to take place at the start of the week.
A possible topic for negotiation is the outlook for the construction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline and gas transit through Ukraine, Altmeier told DPA. The visit of the minister, who is considered a confidant and key advisor of Chancellor Angela Merkel, will prepare for the negotiations between Merkel herself and Russian President Vladimir Putin, which are scheduled to take place on May 18 in Sochi.
On Tuesday German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas made his first official visit to Moscow. He urged his Russian colleague Sergey Lavrov to continue the quadrilateral negotiations in the Normandy Format to resolve the Ukrainian crisis.
In an interview with Der Spiegel before visiting Moscow, Maas expressed a severe stance on Russia, calling it “the aggressor” and accusing the Russian government of demonstrating “increasing hostility” towards the West.