European Union sanctions on Russia over theUkraine conflict should not be lifted unless President Vladimir Putin alters his behaviour, Prime Minister David Cameron said on Thursday.

Referring to the ceasefire deal for eastern Ukraine reached in Minsk overnight, Cameron said: "If this is a genuine ceasefire, then of course that would be welcome. But what matters most of all is actually actions on the ground rather just words on a piece of paper."

"I think we should be very clear that Vladimir Putin needs to know that unless his behaviour changes, the sanctions we have in place won't be altered," he told reporters as he arrived for an EU summit in Brussels.