Russia says a European Union decision to keep sanctions against Russia in place shows the EU is not ready to change an "unfriendly course" toward Moscow.
The Russian Foreign Ministry made the comment on January 20, a day after the EU said sanctions against Russia could only be eased if there were improvements on the ground in eastern Ukraine, where government forces are fighting rebels Kyiv and NATO say have direct military support from Moscow.
The EU's decision "only confirms the fact that the EU is still not ready to alter its unfriendly course or to give an objective assessment of the Kyiv authorities' actions," the ministry said in a statement.
EU foreign-policy chief Federica Mogherini said after EU foreign ministers met in Brussels on January 19 the situation in eastern Ukraine was "much worse than last week."
She ruled out relaxing sanctions against Russia before Moscow implements measures agreed in a cease-fire deal signed in Minsk on September 5.