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Sanctions against Russia will only be lifted in case their causes are removed, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on the ZDF television channel, TASS reports.

"The sanctions may be canceled when there are no more prerequisites under which they were once imposed, and when problems are solved," Merkel said.

She once again linked the possibility to soften sanctions with implementation of the Minsk agreements on settlement in east Ukraine.

"If Minsk is implemented, sanctions will be lifted," Merkel said. She said the restrictive measures against Moscow are not an end in itself but "are a tool to achieve goals."

"We have always said: there is a connection between the Minsk agreements and extension of sanctions, with the possibility of their cancelation," she said.

At the same time, Merkel admitted that the West needs cooperation with Russia to solve global international problems, such as the conflict in Syria or Iran’s nuclear program.