Russian PM names condition for lifting sanctions against Ukraine

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has said Russia is ready to consider lifting sanctions against Ukraine if there is a corresponding initiative from Kyiv.

"We always told them [Kyiv]: 'We are ready to consider the sanctions issue bilaterally, but an initiative on their part is required to this end, because that was them who introduced [sanctions] initially," he said, as reported by Russia's Interfax news outlet on December 23.

Medvedev added that Russia "still remains the largest market and major trading partner for Ukraine, no matter what."

Answering journalists' questions, Medvedev noted that contacts at the level of the two countries' heads of government had not yet been outlined.

However, Medvedev mentioned his previous communication with Arseniy Yatsenyuk when the latter was Ukraine's prime minister. According to the Russian official, he had no contact with former Ukrainian head of government Volodymyr Groysman.

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"We have interrupted contacts with the current [Ukrainian] prime minister [Oleksiy Honcharuk]. We do not exchange calls or maintain correspondence. But [Russian] Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak has already talked with the Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister. Energy ministers [of the two countries] are already in talks. So, I don't rule out anything, if they are willing [to communicate], [let them do it], please," he added.

As UNIAN reported earlier, the Russian prime minister earlier said that the Stockholm arbitration award to recover funds from Russia's Gazprom in favor of Ukraine "shall be enforced."