Kiev calls for decisive EU action
PR dla Zagranicy
John Beauchamp
16.07.2014 13:00
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Kiev calls for decisive EU action. John Beauchamp reports.
A heightening of tensions in eastern Ukraine led Poland’s foreign minister Radosław Sikorski to go to Kiev on Tuesday ahead of an EU summit in Brussels, Wednesday.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk (L) welcomes Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski (R) during their meeting in Kiev, Ukraine, 15 July 2014. Sikorski paid an official visit to Kiev before European Council meeting on 16 July in Brussels, Belgium. Photo: PAP/EPA/ANDREW KRAVCHENKO
As John Beauchamp reports, the move comes ahead of an EU summit on Wednesday on whether to impose further sanctions against Russia. Kiev wants decisive action, but will the EU stand up to the task?
“The head of state and government will again assess the strategic situation and should it be required, adopt the necessary decisions,” said Stefan Fule, EU enlargement commissioner in Strasbourg on Tuesday.
However, only a few EU countries are pushing for further sanctions, including Poland, the Baltic States and the UK.
On the other hand, France, Germany and Italy are against such moves and want to give diplomacy a chance, as any further sanctions may harm European businesses, they say.