The EU hesitates to act over Ukraine [View all]

[dipsydoodle]

LISBON, Portugal — As tension mounts in eastern Ukraine, Europe's declarations of a strong and united response are starting to sound as credible as Russia's claims not to be involved in fomenting the unrest.

On Monday, foreign ministers from the 28 European Union countries filed out of a day-long meeting in Luxembourg to assure journalists that the bloc's position was "clear" and "strong" in response to the takeover of government buildings in several Ukrainian cities by armed units loyal to Russia.

However, they announced no concrete action against the regime of Russian President Vladimir Putin beyond a pledge that an unspecified number of names would added to a list of 33 Russian and Ukrainian figures currently banned from traveling to the EU and subjected to a freeze on their assets in Europe.

Stefan Meister, an expert in EU-Russia relations at the European Council on Foreign Relations, says the group’s reaction to the latest escalation is consistent with its response throughout the crisis. “It's just not sufficient. It's the minimum,” he says.

"EU member states can’t agree on serious sanctions on Russia," he said in a telephone interview from his office in Berlin. "They have economic interests in Russia and they can agree on neither energy sanctions nor financial sanctions, that's the problem."

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/europe/140415/eu-ukraine-russia-sanctions

Russia's Ukraine tactics sharpen EU split on sanctions

Diplomats said three camps of roughly equal size emerged at Monday's EU meeting. Those pushing towards tougher sanctions were Britain, France, Poland, Sweden, Denmark, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

Those most reluctant were Italy, Greece, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Luxembourg, Austria, Spain, Portugal and Malta. An undecided middle camp led by Germany included the Netherlands, Belgium, Finland, Ireland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Croatia.

Czech Defence Minister Martin Stropnicky spelled out the problems of trying to keep Europe united on sanctions, which require unanimous agreement under the EU treaty.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/04/15/us-ukraine-crisis-eu-idUSBREA3E15120140415

Imposing economic sanctions would require the agreement of all 28 EU member states - one single veto would kill the issue.