The White House says President Barack Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel have discussed Ukraine and both agree that economic sanctions against Russia should remain until the “full implementation” of a Ukrainian peace accord and Russian respect for its neighbor’s sovereignty.
The two leaders met Sunday in Bavaria before an annual summit of leaders from the Group of Seven industrialized nations.
The U.S. and its European allies imposed several rounds of economic penalties on Russia after it annexed the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine last year. A February peace accord aimed at ending the fighting in eastern Ukraine has yet to be fully undertaken. The West accuses Russia of backing separatist rebels in Ukraine, a charge Russia denies.
Obama and Merkel also talked about promoting economic growth through a trans-atlantic trade deal and achieving a climate change accord this year.
