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Anti-Russian sanctions

Anti-Russia sanctions not to be removed without Moscow-Kiev agreements — Scholz

"We will not lift sanctions without [Russia reaching] agreements with Ukraine," he said

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz Sergey Guneev/POOL/TASS

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz

© Sergey Guneev/POOL/TASS

BERLIN, May 2. /TASS/. The sanctions against Russia imposed after the beginning of the special operation in Ukraine cannot be removed without agreements reached by Kiev and Moscow, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said in an interview broadcast by the ZDF TV channel on Monday.

"We will not lift sanctions without [Russia reaching] agreements with Ukraine," he said, adding that Russian President Vladimir Putin "should reach agreements with Ukraine." This should not be "an imposed peace," in which Russia will dictate its terms, Chancellor noted.

Germany does not recognize Crimea’s reunification with Russia, he said when asked a respective question.

Scholz also said that Ukraine should be able "to protect its sovereignty and its freedom," adding that "Russia should not win, Ukraine should not lose."

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on February 24 that in response to a request by the heads of the Donbass republics he had made a decision to carry out a special military operation in Ukraine, stressing that Moscow had no plans of occupying Ukrainian territories. The United States and its allies responded to Russia’s actions by slapping massive sanctions and speeding up arms supplies to Kiev.

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Sanctions vs. Russia Ukraine Germany Olaf Scholz

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