REUTERS

"My assessment is that one should not remove the economic sanctions before Russia has changed its behavior. I believe there is a broad agreement about this in the EU," Stoltenberg said in an interview, Reuters wrote.

Read alsoMerkel insists Russia sanctions tied to Minsk accordsGerman Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier was quoted on Sunday as saying the EU should gradually phase out the sanctions if there is substantial progress in the peace process and if Russia showed it was doing its part in implementing the Minsk peace plan for Ukraine.