MOSCOW (Sputnik) — On Thursday, the National Assembly, France's lower house of parliament, supported a resolution calling to lift the sanctions imposed on Russia. The resolution was opposed by the country's government and the lawmakers from parliamentary majority.
"These sanctions were imposed in order to give effect to the Minsk agreements, and what do these agreements stipulate? The need to provide autonomous status to the eastern regions of Ukraine, the electoral law, the ceasefire — everything that relates to the Ukrainians. It seems to me that these restrictions have nothing to do with Russia," Dupre said.
Relations between Russia and the European Union, including France, as its member state, deteriorated amid the 2014 crisis in Ukraine. Brussels, Washington and their allies have introduced several rounds of anti-Russia sanctions since the reunification of Crimea with Russia in 2014, accusing Moscow of meddling in the Ukrainian conflict.
Russia has denied the allegations and introduced a one-year food embargo in August 2014 on products originating in states that imposed sanctions against it. The ban has since been extended.