Bulgaria will not support the initiative to cancel the EU sanctions against Russia, said Dmitry Mitov. According to him, "in the Ukrainian crisis Russia has acted without taking into account international laws, and this cannot remain without consequences".

"The only peaceful tool - sanctions", — said the head of the Bulgarian foreign Ministry.

1 July 2016, the European Union formally extended economic sanctions against Russia until 31 January 2017. Before that, the Austrian foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz urged the EU to move towards gradual removal of sanctions from Russia, for each step in the implementation of the Minsk agreements.