BRUSSELS — European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said she did not expect European Union leaders to discuss sanctions on Russia at their summit on Thursday after a Ukraine cease-fire was agreed in talks in Minsk.
Mogherini called the Minsk agreement important but not definitive. "I don't think today we will discuss sanctions," she told reporters after a meeting of Socialist leaders.
"We are now working … to trigger all means at the EU's disposal to facilitate the implementation of the agreements."
"We will discuss this today at the summit. There are some crucial things that the EU can do from the moment when the cease-fire will be in force on Sunday," she said, without giving details.
On Monday, the EU delayed putting more Ukrainian separatists and Russians on its sanctions list to give the Franco-German peace plan for Ukraine time to work. It said the addition of new names could be annulled if things went well in Minsk.
Mogherini said this issue would not be discussed on Thursday. "Today the main issue under discussion will be how to help widen the glimmer [of hope] … to reach an effective solution of the conflict. We should invest all our energies to make sure that this glimmer can be consolidated."
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