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Russia will not discuss criteria for lifting sanctions with EU — Lavrov

Lavrov said there had emerged a situation where those who had once called for the supremacy of a free market economy now proceed from the priority of politics over the economy
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov at talks with Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz Anton Novoderezhkin/TASS
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov at talks with Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz
© Anton Novoderezhkin/TASS

MOSCOW, May 5. /TASS/. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has confirmed that Russia is not going to discuss with the European Union any criteria for lifting sanctions.

"I have not discussed any hopes (for Austria’s support for the lifting of sanctions) with my counterpart. No one has voiced any requests on that score," Lavrov said after talks with Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz on Tuesday. "Some of my counterparts have tried to lure us into discussing the criteria of lifting sanctions. We will not do that. Sanctions was no decision of ours," he said.

Lavrov said there had emerged a situation where those who had once called for the supremacy of a free market economy now proceed from the priority of politics over the economy.

"We have only one hope: when the question of whether the sanctions are to be prolonged will be considered the EU members will proceed from their interests and the interest of their countries and peoples, and not something else," Lavrov said.