According to the former finance minister, the sanctions against Russia, though likely to be extended for a few years, would gradually deescalate.
"I think that this [future lifting of the sanctions] is tied to the general logic of the process and, maybe, the new steps toward honoring Minsk peace accords on Donbass," Kudrin said.
Since 2014, relations between Russia and the European Union have deteriorated amid the crisis in Ukraine. Brussels, Washington and their allies have introduced several rounds of anti-Russia sanctions since Crimea became part of Russia in 2014 and over Moscow's alleged involvement in the conflict between the pro-independence eastern Ukrainian militias and Kiev. Russia has repeatedly refuted the allegations, warning that the Western sanctions are counterproductive and undermine global stability.
