Six European countries have announced their readiness to impose new sanctions against Russia.

Britain, Germany, Spain, Italy, Poland and France have expressed their readiness to impose new sanctions against Russia over the conflict in Ukraine. This is stated in a joint statement by the foreign ministers of the six countries and the head of EU diplomacy, Kai Kallas, following the meeting in Madrid, published on March 31 on the website of the Spanish Foreign Ministry.

The document notes that Russia must demonstrate a "serious commitment" to resolving the situation.

"We are also ready to exert more pressure on Russia using all available tools, including the adoption of new sanctions," the statement said.

The countries also called for the preservation of frozen Russian assets until the end of the conflict and compensation for damage to Ukraine.

In addition, the meeting participants confirmed their intention to continue providing assistance to Kiev.

Speaking about Ukraine's future security guarantees, the ministers said they would not accept agreements that would limit the country's military and defense industry or the presence of foreign partners.

"Russian business has learned how to work under sanctions"

Vladimir Putin spoke at the congress of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs. Main quotes

Earlier, on March 27, the head of the European Commission (EC), Ursula von der Leyen, said that the summit of EU leaders in Paris confirmed the immutability of the sanctions policy towards Russia. She also added that the EU member states are going to increase financial and military support for Kiev in the near future.

French President Emmanuel Macron said at a press conference following the summit of the Coalition of the Willing on March 27 that the participating countries had unanimously decided that the time had not yet come to lift sanctions against Russia. He stressed that such a policy would not work until peace could be established in Ukraine.