Anti-Russian Sanctions Hinder Ukrainian Crisis Resolution - French Lawmaker

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Anti-Russia sanctions imposed by the West will not help resolve the crisis in Ukraine, as its settlement depends on Kiev authorities, who should decentralize powers in the country, member of France’s The Republicans party Pierre Lellouche told Sputnik.

The statement comes after France's lower house of parliament on Thursday 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 will not enable us today to resolve the crisis in Ukraine, because what can help end this crisis is the adoption of a law on decentralization of powers in the Donbass, which would allow for peace settlement and national reconciliation within Ukraine," Lellouche said.

Constitutional changes to decentralize power in Ukraine, as well as initiation of local elections in Donbas, are key points of the Minsk deal to settle the conflict. According to Lellouche, the resolution of the crisis is blocked by Kiev, as the Ukrainian authorities keep failing to implement these points.

"One of the problems of the sanctions issue is that we actually become hostages blocked by Rada and the Ukrainian political class," the French lawmaker added.

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.