Russia, EU will eventually restore strategic ties: ambassador

Russia and the European Union (EU) will eventually restore their strategic cooperation, Russian Ambassador to the EU Vladimir Chizhov said Monday.

"My personal opinion is that strategic partnership between Russia and the European Union is unavoidable, but in a new format, " Chizhov said during a video meeting.

"We will need to pay more attention to the substance of our partnership," he was quoted by Tass news agency as saying.

Russia's relations with the EU have been stranded following the sanctions imposed on Moscow over its alleged involvement in the Ukraine crisis and the incorporation of Crimea last March.

"Even strong supporters of these sanctions" realized anti- Russian sanctions didn't work, Chizhov added.

According to the ambassador, currently there is still no consensus regarding anti-Russia sanctions in the West, and their future is supposed to be discussed at the next EU summit scheduled for June.

Meanwhile, the diplomat pointed out that Kiev's proposal to send international peacekeeping mission into eastern Ukraine was not supported either in the UN or the EU.

Chizhov also called for more objective news reports on situation in Ukraine, noting that he recently noticed "more coverage of the situation from various viewpoints."

Earlier in the day, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov urged all countries of the Normandy Quartet to bear responsibility for the fulfillment of the Minsk agreements.

"Ignoring noncompliance with the Minsk agreements does not facilitate stabilization, only the opposite," Peskov said.

Recent amendments made by Kiev government on "special status" law and the initiative of international peacekeeping mission have triggered another round of "war of words" as well as conflict upsurge in eastern Ukraine. Endite