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Merkel took 'tough' line on Russia at EU summit
By EUobserver
German chancellor Angela Merkel took a "tough" line against lifting sanctions on Russia during summit talks in Brussels on Thursday, diplomatic sources said. She said lifting them "would send the wrong signal" to Moscow. Some leaders said sanctions "can't go on like this for ever", but others said to lift them would "would be giving a present to [Russian leader] Putin just as he's running again [for president]" in 2018.