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Russian President's Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov says Moscow regards a U.S. statement linking the lifting of sanctions on Russia to its withdrawal from eastern Ukraine as "inappropriate and incorrect," according to Reuters.
"We have repeatedly said Russia is not present on the territory of Donbas. This is why we consider such statements inappropriate and incorrect," Reuters quoted Peskov as saying.
Read alsoKremlin says Putin, Trump may meet without press statementAs UNIAN reported early, on June 20, White House press secretary Sean Spicer said at a briefing in Washington that sanctions against the Russian Federation would remain in place until Moscow withdrew its troops and militants from eastern Ukraine.
"I think we've been clear that, yeah, I mean, obviously that's part of the reason that there are sanctions, is because until they are out of Eastern Ukraine, we're going to continue to have sanctions on Russia. And we believe that that is Ukraine's – a part of Ukraine and so, therefore, until – those sanctions will remain. It was something that obviously came up in discussion with the President today, and we'll continue to advocate for that," Spicer said.