European Union Prepares To Slap Russia With New Sanctions
As CBS 2 #39;s Wendy Gillette reports, it might be too late.
By: CBS New York
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European Union Prepares To Slap Russia With New Sanctions - Video
BRUSSELS, BELGIUM The European Union warned today that the apparent incursion of Russian troops on Ukrainian soil pushes the conflict closer to a point of no return, with new economic sanctions being drawn up to make Moscow reconsider its position.
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, who briefed a summit of the 28-nation EUs leaders in Brussels, said a strong response was needed to the military aggression and terror facing his country.
Thousands of the foreign troops and hundreds of the foreign tanks are now on the territory of Ukraine, Poroshenko told reporters in English. There is a very high risk not only for peace and stability for Ukraine, but for the whole peace and stability of Europe.
French President Francois Hollande and Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt said upon their arrival for the summit in Brussels the leaders will make a political decision and then ask the EUs executive arm to finalize the fine print of new sanctions.
However, because several EU nations fear the fallout of sanctions on their own economies, it wasnt immediately clear whether the required unanimity would be reached for immediate punitive measures, or whether the leaders would set Russia another ultimatum.
But Lithuanian leader Dalia Grybauskaite insisted Russias meddling in Ukraine, which seeks closer ties with the EU, amounts to a direct confrontation that requires stronger sanctions.
Russia is practically in the war against Europe, she said in English.
NATO estimates that at least 1,000 Russian soldiers are in Ukraine even though Russia denies any military involvement in the fighting that has so far claimed 2,600 lives, according to United Nations figures.
British Prime Minister David Cameron also warned that Europe cant be complacent about Russian troops on Ukrainian soil.
Countries in Europe shouldnt have to think long before realizing just how unacceptable that is, he said. We know that from our history. So consequences must follow.
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European Union inches toward new sanctions against Russia
Despite tough rhetoric decrying Russia's increasing military involvement in Ukraine, European Union leaders on Sunday stopped short of imposing new sanctions against Moscow right away.
Instead, the 28-nation bloc's heads of state and government tasked their executive body to "urgently undertake preparatory work" for tougher economic sanctions, according to summit chairman Herman Van Rompuy.
The sanctions will depend on the evolution of the situation but "everybody is fully aware that we have to act quickly," he said. The preparatory work will start Monday.
The fighting between the military and Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine has claimed 2,600 lives, according to U.N. figures. NATO said last week that at least 1,000 Russian soldiers are in Ukraine, which Russia denies. And 20,000 Russian troops are amassed just across Ukraine's eastern border, NATO says.
The U.S. and the EU have imposed sanctions against dozens of Russian officials, several companies as well as the country's financial sector and arms industry. Moscow has retaliated by banning food imports.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the new sanctions would target the same sectors as previous punitive measures, which also included an export ban for some high technology and oil exploration equipment.
Several European leaders had called for additional sanctions at the outset of the meeting in Brussels, but the fear of an economic backlash apparently prevailed and led the bloc to grant Russia another chance to avoid tougher action. New sanctions would have required unanimity among the leaders.
Russia is the EU's No. 3 trading partner and one of its biggest oil and gas suppliers. The EU, in turn, is Russia's biggest commercial partner, making any sanctions more biting than similar measures by the U.S.
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, who briefed the leaders at the beginning of their talks, said a strong response was needed to the "military aggression and terror" facing his country.
"Thousands of the foreign troops and hundreds of the foreign tanks are now on the territory of Ukraine," Poroshenko told reporters. "There is a very high risk not only for peace and stability for Ukraine, but for the whole of Europe."
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'We have to act quickly' on Russia, European Union leaders told
Details Published on Sunday, 31 August 2014 06:15 Xinhua Hits: 209 Privacy Policy
The European Union (EU) leaders during a summit on Saturday elected Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk as president of the European Council, and appointed Italian Foreign Minister Federica Mogherini as the EU's foreign policy chief.
"The European Council decided today to elect Donald Tusk as President of the European Council, and to appoint Federica Mogherini as High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy," a European Council statement said.
Donald Tusk, the center-right Polish Prime Minister will be the second president of the European council. His election reflected a strong desire by EU's eastern countries to finally hold a senior position in the Union.
The European Council President is the person who chairs EU leaders summits and mediates between the 28 governments. According to the Treaty on European Union (TEU), the European Council shall elect its President by a qualified majority for a period of two and a half years, renewable once.
"The President of the European Council is elected for the period from 1 December 2014 until 31 May 2017," the statement said.
Meanwhile, Tusk was also appointed President of the Euro Summit, for the same period. Described by the media as "a leading EU hawk on the Kremlin and the crisis in Ukraine", Tusk has clear favorites by the EU leaders amid the upheaval in Ukraine.
Herman Van Rompuy, the current holder of the position, praised Tusk as "a statesman for Europe" at a press conference after the election.
"He has impressed his colleagues and the outside world with the determined and confident way he has led his country and steered Poland through the economic crisis, managing to maintain steady economic growth and never fall into recession," Van Rompuy said.
Van Rompuy said there are three challenges that the EU will be facing in the years ahead: the stagnating economy, Ukraine and Russia, and Britain's place in the Union.
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Polish PM elected European Council president, Italy's Mogherini to head diplomacy
BRUSSELS European Union leaders on Saturday picked Italian Foreign Minister Federica Mogherini to become the 28-nation bloc's top diplomat for the next five years.
The decision comes as the crisis at the EU's eastern border pitting Ukraine against Russia poses one of the biggest foreign policy challenges for the bloc in decades.
"Federica Mogherini will be the new face of the European Union in our day-to-day dealings with our partners in the world," outgoing EU summit chairman Herman Van Rompuy said. Incumbent EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, whose term ends in October, has been a frequent interlocutor for U.S. secretaries of state and chairs the negotiations on Iran's nuclear program.
Mogherini, a 41-year-old center-left politician, has been Italy's foreign minister only since February, drawing criticism that she lacks experience. A first attempt to secure Mogherini's nomination in June failed amid resistance from eastern European leaders.
Addressing the criticism, Mogherini said she will draw on her experience as foreign minister of a Group of Seven country and her experience as lawmaker.
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Italian picked for key EU position