A grenade launcher operator of Russian armed forces takes part in combat drills at the Kadamovsky range in the Rostov region of Russia on December 14, 2021. REUTERS Sergey Pivovarov
BRUSSELS, Jan 24 Reuters - The European Union is ready to impose never-seen economic sanctions against Russia if it attacks Ukraine, Denmark said on Monday, and EU foreign ministers said they would send a unified warning to Moscow.
East-West tensions have risen since Russia massed troops near Ukraine's border, with Western countries fearing Moscow is planning an invasion. Russia denies such plans.
Divergent interests in the 27-nation EU could hinder efforts to agree a joint position, and the EU is sidelined by direct Russia-U. Ministers said it was essential to find unity.
Knowing Russia's tactics, I'm sure one of their goals is to splinter the West, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said as ministers gathered for regular talks in Brussels. This is a victory that we can't afford to give to the Russians. The Danish Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod told reporters: "There's no doubt that we are ready to react with comprehensive, never-seen sanctions before Russia's invasion of Ukraine." He didn't say what sectors would be targeted.
Putin and Russia should know that the price of using military force to change borders in Europe will be very, very high. He said that we are ready to undertake the most severe sanctions, which are more severe than in 2014.
The European Union and the United States imposed economic sanctions on Moscow after Russia annexed the Crimean peninsula in 2014.
A bill was proposed by the U.S. Senate Democrats to punish Russian officials, military leaders and banking institutions. The EU hasn't said anything about its sanctions package, but it is working with Washington on it.
Olaf Scholz, German Chancellor, has urged Europe and the United States to think carefully when considering sanctions. Asked whether cutting Russia off from the SWIFT global messaging system should be an option, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said in Brussels that the hardest stick may not always be the best way to deal with such a situation.
Austria's foreign minister Alexander Schallenberg said everything was on the table but also pointed out Austria's dependence on Russia for 40% of its gas.
Asked about potential sanctions on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline from Russia to Germany, which has yet to be approved by regulators, he said that sanctioning something that is not yet operative was not a credible threat.
Blinken is expected to join the EU meeting online at around 1400 GMT.
On Friday, top U.S. and Russian diplomats agreed to keep talking, even though there was no major breakthrough at the talks on Ukraine. The Luxembourg foreign minister Jean Asselborn said that we are here to do everything possible to ensure that war does not break out.
After Washington announced such a move, the EU does not plan to withdraw diplomats' families from Ukraine. Some of its staff and dependants were being withdrawn from Kyiv, according to the British Embassy in Ukraine.