MOSCOW (Sputnik) – He estimated that anti-Russian sanctions would be lifted as soon as Minsk was implemented in full.
"There’s a number of actions that Russia still needs to take, and the separatists still need to take, in order to fully implement Minsk," Toner told Russian reporters, adding that he expected the deal to be fulfilled in 2016.
Moscow has repeatedly argued that the Ukrainian government is responsible for upholding its side of the commitments.
The Minsk agreements were signed in the Belarusian capital following Russian, French and German mediation, first in September 2014 then in February 2015. The agreements call for a ceasefire, removal of heavy weapons from the line of contact as well as constitutional reforms.
Both sides to the conflict in eastern Ukraine frequently report violations of the deal.
Kiev authorities launched a military operation against militias in Ukraine’s east in April 2014. The armed conflict has claimed over 9,000 lives, according to UN estimates.
