EU says sanctions remain unless ‘unconditional withdrawal’ of Russia

The European Commission on Wednesday, March 26, 2025, stated that the “unconditional withdrawal of all Russian military forces from the entire territory of Ukraine” is a main precondition for amending or lifting EU sanctions against Russia.

The United States on Tuesday, March 25, 2025, reached separate deals with Ukraine and Russia to pause their attacks at sea and against energy targets, with the US agreeing to push to lift some sanctions against Moscow.

Moscow on Tuesday, March 26, 2025, announced that Washington had agreed to assist it in lifting a series of Western sanctions and restrictions on food, fertilizer, and shipping companies as preconditions for a maritime security deal in the Black Sea.

EU spokeswoman for foreign affairs and security policy, Anitta Hipper, in a statement said, “The end of the Russian unprovoked and unjustified aggression in Ukraine and unconditional withdrawal of all Russian military forces from the entire territory of Ukraine would be one of the main preconditions to amend or lift sanctions.

The EU members renewed the bloc’s two sanctions frameworks on Russia for another six months at the end of January and earlier in March. Any changes to the sanctions would need unanimity among its 27 member states.

“Russia must now demonstrate genuine political will to end its illegal and unprovoked war of aggression,” Anitta Hipper added.