"Opinions about when it will happen differ. It could take place in 2016 or in 2017," Kostin said in an interview with the television channel Rossiya-24 about the possibility of the West lifting the anti-Russia sanctions.
He added that the number of European countries advocating the lifting of sanctions was growing.
According to Kostin, several US representatives have voiced the view that the sanctions regime could end before the end of Barack Obama's presidential term, while other stress that it will be the task for the next president.
The United States and the European Union imposed several rounds of sanctions targeting Russia's energy, banking and defense sectors after Crimea joined Russia and over Moscow's alleged involvement in the escalation of the crisis in southeastern Ukraine.
Moscow has repeatedly denied the allegations, stating that it is not party to the Ukrainian conflict.
