Tillerson says the US will never accept Russia's annexation in Crimea, and sanctions will stay

Thomson Reuters

VIENNA (Reuters) - U.S. sanctions against Moscow will remain in place until Russia withdraws from Ukraine, United States Secretary of state Rex Tillerson said on Thursday, speaking in front of his Russian counterpart at a security conference in Vienna.

"We will never accept Russia's occupation and attempted annexation of Crimea. Crimea-related sanctions will remain in place until Russia returns full control of the peninsula to Ukraine," he said.

"In eastern Ukraine we join our European partners in maintaining sanctions until Russia withdraws its forces from the Donbass (region) and meets its Minks commitments," Tillerson said, referring to a previous deal to promote peace in Ukraine.

(Reporting By Francois Murphy, Shadia Nasralla, Kirsti Knolle; Editing by Angus MacSwan)

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