UPDATE: Greece opposes automatic extension of anti-Russian sanctions

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MOSCOW, Jun 1 (PRIME) -- Greece is against extending anti-Russian sanctions automatically, Greek Deputy Foreign Minister Nikos Xydakis told PRIME on Wednesday.

“The first step which must be taken is to examine and consider again those…conditions, on the back of which these sanctions were imposed. Today we are not at the same point as we were when the Ukrainian crisis started,” Xydakis said.

“Russia is Europe’s main energy supplier, and Russia has large commercial interests in many European countries,” he said.

Sanctions are harmful for both Russia and the E.U., and countries should consider an opportunity to de-escalate the situation, he said.

Earlier on Wednesday, Christiane Wirtz, the German government's deputy spokeswoman, said that Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel sees no grounds to lift or ease economic sanctions against Russia, but this issue must be considered by the whole European Union.

“The government of Germany insists on implementation of this ‘road map’ – the Minsk agreements. That is why the chancellor believes that there are no preconditions to discuss lifting or easing of… sanctions,” Wirtz said.

“The issue of sanctions is one of those issues that must be considered by the whole European Union.”

The E.U.’s Foreign Policy Chief Federica Mogherini said on May 20 that the union is not discussing an extension of anti-Russian sanctions over the political crisis in Ukraine but plans to start talks on a rollover of the existing measures in a few weeks.

In 2014, relations between Russia and the West deteriorated to their worse since the Cold War due to a military conflict in Ukraine. The West introduced sanctions against some Russian individuals and firms and further against the energy and banking sectors. In response, Russia limited food imports from some countries, including the U.S., the E.U., Canada, Australia, and Norway.

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