Russia Skips Meeting With US, EU, Other Countries To Discuss 2016 Nuclear Security Summit

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2. Merkel underlines displeasure over Russian role

ERLIN (AP) -- German Chancellor Angela Merkel underlined her displeasure over Russia's role in eastern Ukraine on Tuesday and said there is no reason yet to lift European Union sanctions.

Russia supported rebel-organized elections in eastern Ukraine that the West says undermine a much-violated cease-fire deal signed in Minsk in September.

Merkel said her aim remains a diplomatic solution, but the weekend's events show "how difficult it is even to maintain agreements that have been made, if we look at the illegal elections."

"Russia isn't yet contributing in the way we would like, particularly regarding Luhansk and Donetsk" in eastern Ukraine, Merkel told a conference held by the German employers' organization in Berlin. "The Minsk agreement should be the basis. So the economic sanctions were inevitable and there is no reason at the moment to lift them."

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