Merkel against lifting of sanctions

Merkel against lifting of sanctions

BERLIN -- German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said she is against the lifting of sanctions imposed on Russia.

She stated that "the annexation of Crimea" and the events in Eastern Ukraine are violations of international law and shared values.

"According to the present situation, they (sanctions) will remain in force," Merkel said in an interview with the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, adding that the sanctions are not an end in themselves, but that the reasons why they were introduced are still not removed.

"Only when that happens, we may lift the sanctions," Merkel said.

Merkel said that economic destabilization of Russia is not in the interest of Germany.

"Russia has the ability in its hands to make those sanctions unnecessary," said she.

To the critics from the German economy and business cirlces she told that it was also in the interest of the economy to clearly say that one must react if a common understanding of "territorial integrity" is no longer respected by all.

Merkel said that economic success depends on reliable framework conditions and added that she "does not count" on the participation of Russian President Vladimir Putin at the G7 summit in Bavaria this summer.