The European Union has no intention of easing sanctions against Russia at least until July, a source in the EU told Euractiv.
Nothing will change before the sanctions are renewed in July, and we will work to ensure that nothing changes because Russia itself has not changed and does not have new objectives, said a European diplomat.
Earlier, sources close to Donald Trump stated that Russia is demanding the lifting of EU sanctions as part of the proposed ceasefire conditions in the Black Sea. In particular, Moscow insists on lifting restrictions on the agricultural sector, including reconnecting Rosselkhozbank and several other banks to the SWIFT system.
However, as Euractiv notes, the U.S. will not be able to unblock access to the system on its own, as SWIFT is based in Belgium and is subject to EU law.
Therefore, at some point, we [Europeans] will have to be involved, one EU diplomat noted.
Thus, the EU’s position remains unchanged, and no easing of sanctions should be expected before July.
