MOSCOW, Jan 12 - The European Union will consider lifting sanctions on Russia over the Ukraine crisis only if there is "real progress" in implementing a four-month-old ceasefire deal, Latvia's foreign minister said on Monday, Reuters reported.

Edgars Rinkevics, whose country took over the EU's rotating presidency on Jan. 1, held talks in Moscow before a meeting of the German, French, Russian and Ukrainian foreign ministers scheduled in Berlin later on Monday.