EU considers emergency summit to discuss sanctions against Russia

By Ann Cahill, Europe Correspondent

EU leaders may hold an emergency summit on Thursday to agree sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.

Foreign Ministers discussing the issue are split on what action to take in particular whether to take economic sanctions against Moscow.

Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore said that unless Russia withdrew its troops in Crimea at least into their barracks sanctions would be considered.

He was adamant that the EU would not allow Russia to annex Crimea on condition that they did not occupy other parts of Ukraine.

Many ministers, including Sweden’s Carl Bildt said they would seek a political solution but only if troops were withdrawn and the Russian federal council withdrew their threat of invading Ukraine as a whole.

He believed that they could reach a political settlement, but it would take time and would not happen immediately as “some Russians are still impressed by their military might”.

The German minister, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, said that the west must not fall into the abyss of military escalation and stressing the need for a political solution added that crisis diplomacy was not a weakness.

Ministers on their way into the meeting were all emphasising the need for international bodies, such as the Council of Europe and the OSCE to which Russia belongs, to become involved.

Britain, that with the US and Russia are guarantors of Ukraine sovereignty under various international agreements, appeared to be in favour of initiating sanctions against Russia.

Reports from London said prime minister David Cameron believed an emergency EU summit should be held this week to agree sanctions. Foreign Secretary William Hague was in Kiev yesterday.

British MEP David Lidington on his way into the meeting in Brussels said they were deeply concerned at Russia’s refusal to have direct contact with the Ukraine government.

He said: “If the Russian government persist in the current course of action, that will come at a cost to Russia. It cannot simply be business as usual in light of what we have seen in the last couple of days”.

Mr Gilmore said the Department of Foreign Affairs would co-operate with any request to allow former Ukraine Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko to attend the EPP congress in Dublin later this week.

Ms Tymoshenko was released from prison last week and a member of her political party is now prime minister. The EPP, to which Fine Gael belongs, is the largest political group in the EU.