Ukraine president hopes EU sanctions on Russia remain

FILE PHOTO: Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy delivers a speech during an IT conference in Kiev, Ukraine, May 23, 2019. REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko

KIEV (Reuters) - Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Friday he hopes that European Union sanctions on Russia will remain in place until Ukrainian territories are returned, according to a statement released on the presidential website.

The West imposed sanctions on Russia following Moscow's annexation of Crimea in 2014 and support for separatist fighters in eastern Ukraine.