BRUSSELS (Reuters) – EU member states’ ambassadors will meet on Tuesday morning to discuss possible sanctions against Russia in response to its formal recognition of two breakaway regions of Ukraine, with limited sanctions a possible option, an EU official said.
An EU diplomat said separately that the meeting would be an “information point” for the envoys, but would also consider how to act on the statement made by EU leaders on Monday that the bloc would “react with sanctions against those involved in this illegal act”.
The EU official said some member states wanted sanctions to be limited in response to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s move on eastern Ukraine, while others want to see the full range of sanctions that have been discussed in recent weeks to be rolled out now.
The official said there may be a meeting of EU leaders to discuss the bloc’s response, but a decision on this has not yet been taken.
(Reporting by John Chalmers)