Britain’s foreign secretary on Friday, April 4, 2014, urged European Union partners to develop possible further sanctions against Russia “if they become necessary”.
At the EU meeting in Athens, officials continued to worry about the large Russian military force on Ukraine’s border.
“It is really, really important that Russia shows that it is serious about de-escalation by moving troops back, EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said as she arrived for the meeting.
The EU has already imposed sanctions against Russia.
“It’s very important for us to remain strong and united about the sanctions that we have implemented against individuals in Russia and Crimea, and to prepare more far-reaching measures if they become necessary,” British Foreign Secretary William Hague said. No decision would be made at the two-day session in Athens, he added.
“This moment isn’t the moment for phase three of sanctions, but they have to be ready,” Hague said, “because the situation remains very dangerous, it remains very tense.”
The crisis in Ukraine tops the agenda at the informal foreign ministers; meeting, which will also discuss Syria.
EU finance officials said earlier this week that the sanctions were already slowing the Russian economy.