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

PHOTO CAPTION: A destroyed tank is seen on a road, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in the Kharkiv Region, Ukraine March 25, 2025. REUTERS/Sofiia Gatilova

By Julia Payne and Jan Strupczewski

BRUSSELS (Reuters) -The withdrawal of all Russian forces from Ukraine would be one of the main conditions to lift or amend EU sanctions, the European Commission said on Wednesday.

The United States reached separate deals on Tuesday with Ukraine and Russia to pause their attacks at sea and against energy targets, with Washington agreeing to push to lift some sanctions against Moscow.

The EU was not invited to those talks. The Commission said the EU welcomed the agreement between Washington and Kyiv.

"The end of the Russian unprovoked and unjustified aggression in Ukraine and unconditional withdrawal of all Russian military forces from the entire territory of Ukraine would be one of the main preconditions to amend or lift sanctions," EU spokeswoman for foreign affairs and security policy, Anitta Hipper, said in a statement. 

Russia said on Tuesday the United States had agreed to help it lift a series of Western sanctions and restrictions on food, fertiliser and shipping companies as preconditions for a maritime security deal in the Black Sea. 

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

The Commission added the bloc did not have sanctions targeting agricultural goods but did have "prohibitive tariffs" on grain products imported from Russia and Belarus, which entered into force on July 1. 

Further tariffs on more agricultural products, as well as some fertilisers, were still under discussion.

European Union countries renewed the bloc's two sanctions frameworks on Russia for another six months at the end of January and earlier this month. Any changes to sanctions require unanimity among its 27 member states.  

"Russia must now demonstrate genuine political will to end its illegal and unprovoked war of aggression," Hipper added. 

"Experience has shown that Russia must be judged by its actions, not by its words." 

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