Ukraine says EU to consider 'robust' new Russia sanctions
Pavlo Klimkin - Photo EU Council
(BRUSSELS) - EU foreign ministers will consider further "robust measures" against Russia over the fighting in Ukraine when they meet in Brussels Thursday, Ukrainian foreign minister Pavlo Klimkin said.
His European counterparts are holding emergency talks on new sanctions after dozens of people were killed in clashes between Ukrainian forces and Moscow-backed rebels near the key port city of Mariupol.
"Ministers are ready to issue a forceful statement plus consider further robust measures," Klimkin told reporters after meeting NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at the alliance's headquarters.
"I talked to every minister in recent days, to many of them twice. I have a clear feeling that we have overall support for Ukraine, and clear understanding that another heinous terror attack could bring about a spiral of violence in a completely different direction."
He is due to hold talks with further EU ministers before the meeting starts at 1400 GMT.
EU leaders called the meeting in a statement on Tuesday in which they ordered the ministers to weigh up further sanctions following the fighting in Mariupol, the latest instalment in months of conflict in which have left more than 5,000 dead.
According to a draft statement seen by AFP, ministers will recommend that visa ban and asset freeze sanctions imposed against Russian and Ukrainian figures after Moscow's annexation of Crimea in March last year should be extended until September 2015.
They will also recommend that the European Commission, the EU's executive arm, draw up new names to add to the blacklist.
The Commission should also carry out "further preparatory work" on a new set of broad-spectrum economic sanctions against Russia, to add to those first adopted after the shooting down of Malaysia Airlines jet MH17 in July, the draft says.
Diplomatic sources said earlier that while the EU was increasingly exasperated by Russian actions in Ukraine, there was as yet no overall consensus on adopting more economic sanctions which have proved divisive.
Greece, where a new anti-austerity government led by Prime Minister Alexis Tspiras took office this week, has raised objections over part of the draft, one diplomatic source told AFP on condition of anonymity.
The foreign ministers meet again February 9, just ahead of a February 12 leaders' summit which will take up their recommendations.