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        France Calls for Lifting Russia Sanctions if Progress on Ukraine

   by Lisa Bryant

   French President Francois Hollande is calling for sanctions on Russia
   to be lifted if there is progress in Ukraine.

   During a two-hour radio interview, Hollande said sanctions imposed by
   Europe and the United States had not only hit Russia hard, but were
   also hurting the European economy. But there must be no new sanctions -
   and those in place should be lifted if there is progress on Ukraine, he
   added.
   There will be an opportunity for that next week, when Ukraine's Petro
   Poroshenko and Russia's Putin are scheduled to hold talks in
   Kazakhstan. Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel have been
   invited to join them at the meeting, to be held January 15 in Astana.

   The sanctions were imposed last year over Moscow's annexation of
   Ukraine's Crimea region and its support of separatist fighters in
   eastern Ukraine.  But today, European countries are raising concerns
   about the effect of the standoff on their own economies.  France, for
   example, has suspended the sale of two warships to Russia over the
   Ukraine crisis.

   Hollande spoke during a wide-ranging interview that touched on France's
   sluggish economy, the Middle East crisis and climate change.

   He also tackled another key European issue - Greece.

   Hollande said it was up to the Greeks to choose whether they wanted to
   remain in the eurozone. But he said Athens must respect its European
   commitments.

   Whether Greece remains in the euro currency union might be decided
   during elections later this month. The euro-skeptic, far-left Syriza
   Party, is leading in Greek public opinion polls.

   A few years back, financial turmoil in Greece sparked fears of the
   eurozone's collapse.  But today, the eurozone is on sounder footing.
   Chancellor Merkel of Germany, Europe's most powerful country,
   reportedly said Greece's departure from the euro union would be
   manageable. Later, Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel said the German
   government wants Greece to stay in the eurozone and that there were no
   contingency plans to the contrary.
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   [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/france-calls-for-lifting-russia-sanct
   ions-if-progress-on-ukraine/2585989.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/france-calls-for-lifting-russia-sanctions-if-progress-on-ukraine/2585989.html