EU says Crimea return needed to lift anti-Russian sanctions

MOSCOW, Feb 5 (PRIME) -- The European parliament has named Crimea’s return to Ukraine as a mandatory condition to lift anti-Russian sanctions, according to a resolution published on the parliament’s Web site on Thursday.

“The restoration of Ukrainian control over the peninsula is one of the prerequisites for re-establishing cooperative relations with the Russian Federation, including the suspension of related sanctions,” the resolution said.

Crimea became part of Russia in March 2014, after which the Western sanctions against Russia were introduced.

Previously, EU leaders said that the abolishment of anti-Russian sanctions depended on the complete fulfillment of the Minsk agreements.

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