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RFERL, 24 April 2016

U.S. President Barack Obama says he and German Chancellor Angela Merkel agree that Ukraine-related sanctions targeting Russia should only be lifted if Moscow complies with a deal to end fighting between Kyiv's forces and Russia-backed separatists.

"Sanctions on Russia can and should only be lifted once Russia fully complies with its commitments under the Minsk [peace] agreement," Obama told an April 24 news conference in Hannover after meeting with Merkel.

Merkel said that the cease-fire was not stable and that she and Obama had discussed implementation of the February 2015 peace deal brokered in Minsk to end to the conflict in eastern Ukraine that has killed more than 9,100 since April 2014.

"We still have no stable cease-fire, and we must advance on the political process, and we discussed in detail the next steps needed," Merkel said.

Obama has arrived in Germany to push for a new EU-U.S. trade pact and take part in an April 25 summit with key European leaders.