EU says 'unconditional withdrawal' of Russia from Ukraine is a precondition to amend sanctions

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The withdrawal of each Russian forces from Ukraine would beryllium 1 of the main conditions to assistance oregon amend EU sanctions, a European Commission spokesperson said connected Wednesday.

European Union countries renewed the bloc's 2 sanctions frameworks connected Russia for different six months astatine the extremity of January and earlier this month. Any changes to sanctions necessitate unanimity among its 27 subordinate states.

"The extremity of the Russian unprovoked and unjustified aggression successful Ukraine and unconditional withdrawal of each Russian subject forces from the full territory of Ukraine would beryllium 1 of the main preconditions to amend oregon assistance sanctions," the spokesperson said.

The United States reached abstracted deals connected Tuesday with Ukraine and Russia to intermission their attacks astatine oversea and against vigor targets, with Washington agreeing to propulsion to assistance immoderate sanctions against Moscow.

Russia said connected Tuesday the United States had agreed to assistance it assistance a bid of Western sanctions and restrictions connected food, fertiliser and shipping companies arsenic preconditions for a maritime information woody successful the Black Sea.

Diplomats told Reuters that astir of the curbs listed by the Kremlin related to European Union sanctions and restrictions.

(Reporting by Julia Payne; Editing by Toby Chopra and Alex Richardson)