If Ukraine crisis continues, Baltic states will back further Russia sanctions
Baltic leaders said on Saturday they would back further sanctions against聽Russia聽at a European Union summit next week unless there was a de-escalation in聽eastern聽Ukraine聽where Kiev is trying to quell a pro-Russian insurgency.
Hours after the start of a ceasefire on Friday, separatists attacked Ukrainian posts on the border with聽Russia聽and a military base, and tried to storm an airforce base, Ukrainain security forces said.
Earlier on Friday, the leaders of the聽United States,聽France聽and聽Germany聽agreed聽Russia聽risks new sanctions if it fails to take immediate steps to defuse tensions on the聽Ukraine聽border.
Leaders of EU's member states may discuss the issue at a summit in聽Brussels聽next week.
Latvia,聽Lithuania聽and聽Estonia聽- which all broke away from the聽Soviet Union聽in 1990-1991 - had already called for tougher EU sanctions against聽Moscow聽after its annexation of Crimea.
"If there will be no de-escalation of the situation then聽Latvia聽will support a third bloc of sanctions," Latvian Prime Minister聽Laimdota Straujuma聽told a news conference after meeting with her Baltic counterparts and聽European Commission聽President聽Jose Manuel Barroso聽in the Estonian capital.
Lithuanian Prime Minister聽Algirdas Butkevicius聽said his position was the same, while their Estonian counterpart, Taavi Roivas, said that if there was no de-escalation in聽Ukraine, further sanctions would be the EU's only choice.
So far, the EU has imposed limited measures - asset freezes and travel bans on people and companies in聽Russiaand聽Ukraine聽- and has mulled steps against聽Russia聽including restrictions ranging from luxury goods imports to an oil and gas ban. There has been no consensus on how to proceed.
States with close trade and energy ties with聽Russia, such as聽Italy,聽Greece聽and聽Germany, worry about the potential impact on their economies of stricter sanctions while others, such as聽Cyprus聽and聽Austria, have close financial links.
Concerns over聽Europe's gas supplies are a major consideration in the decision around sanctions as EU consumers get about a third of their gas needs from聽Russia, around half of it through pipelines that cross聽Ukraine.
Barroso at the news conference urged EU member states to reach a common stance on the issue of further sanctions.
"I am pleading for a common position of the member states," he said. (Reporting by David Mardiste; Writing by Anna Ringstrom; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky)
