Russia engages in deception, not talks, there should be no easing of sanctions - Foreign Minister

“We share the position that pressure on the aggressor must be maintained and increased,” he said.

According to the Minister, Moscow will continue to engage in deception rather than negotiations.

"Moscow will engage in deception, not negotiations, until it feels real power - diplomatic, military, and sanctions. There can be no easing of pressure as long as Russian aggression continues," Sybiha added.

The Foreign Minister emphasized that Ukraine has already proved that it is not an obstacle to peace.

"Now Russia has to show by concrete actions, not manipulations, its real desire to end the war. Otherwise, it will be necessary to increase pressure on Moscow," Sybiha stated.

Easing sanctions against Russia issue

In February, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said after a meeting with Russian Minister Sergei Lavrov that some of the sanctions against Russia could be lifted as part of negotiations.

For his part, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy recently stated that sanctions against Russia could be eased only if Moscow fulfills 2 conditions. One of them is the withdrawal of Russian occupation troops from Ukrainian territory.

At the same time, according to the head of the White House, Donald Trump, the United States is considering Russia's conditions for a truce agreement with Ukraine in the Black Sea. Among them is the partial lifting of sanctions.

Western partners imposed sanctions on Russia after the large-scale invasion of Ukraine. But Russia has already come up with several ways to circumvent them. In particular, Russia continues to expand its shadow fleet, and the Kremlin imports machine tools from China for the needs of its military-industrial complex.