Hollande: Economic sanctions against Russia must be stopped

© EPA/YOAN VALAT POOL

If Russia is in crisis, this means no good for Europe, François Hollande said.

Russia's economic crisis cannot bring any benefit to the European Union, and so the introduction of sanctions against Moscow should be stopped, French President Francois Hollande said on France Inter radio on Monday. He said the settlement of the conflict in Ukraine is the main condition for the sanctions' lifting.

If Russia is in crisis, this means no good for Europe, said the French leader. He said he was against the confrontation policy and that the sanctions must be stopped. He said, however, that the sanctions regime would remain in the old format if the asides fail to make progress on the Ukrainian issue.

"I think the sanctions must stop now. They must be lifted if there is progress. If there is no progress, the sanctions will remain," Hollande said.