MOSCOW, September 25 (RIA Novosti) - Western sanctions against Russia over its alleged involvement in the Ukrainian crisis could be lifted only if the Minsk ceasefire agreement holds, the foreign ministers of G7 countries said in a joint statement Thursday.
"Sanctions are not an end in themselves; they can only be rolled back when Russia meets its commitments related to the cease fire and the Minsk agreements and respects Ukraine's sovereignty," reads the statement, released by the foreign ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States and High Representative of the European Union.
However, sanctions could also be stepped up if ceasefire collapses, the ministers stated.
"In case of adverse action, however, we remain ready to further intensify the costs on Russia for non-compliance," the statement said.
The West has introduced several rounds of economic sanctions against Russia over its alleged role in the Ukrainian conflict, targeting the country's energy, banking and defense sectors. Moscow has repeatedly denied any involvement in the internal Ukrainian crisis.
A meeting of the Contact Group on Ukraine held in on September 5 resulted in a ceasefire agreement between Kiev and independence supporters in eastern Ukraine. Despite the ceasefire, a new round of Western sanctions against Russia came into effect on September 12.
Another meeting of the Contact Group comprising delegations from Russia, Ukraine, the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics and the OSCE, held on September 19, resulted in the adoption of a nine-point memorandum, specifying the provisions of the ceasefire.
