France's green light on carrier deal dilutes EU threats for sanctions
European Union foreign ministers threatened Russia on Tuesday with harsher sanctions over Ukraine, but tougher talk may not be matched by much action after France's president signaled the disputed delivery of a warship to Moscow would go ahead.
The 28 EU ministers met under growing pressure from the United States and Britain to step up sanctions after the downing of a Malaysia Airlines plane last week in eastern Ukraine.
German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said that while Berlin was still willing to talk with Russia, greater economic pressure was needed to make Moscow change course.
"I say we remain open to defusing the situation with all political and diplomatic means but it will be necessary to accompany this willingness with higher pressure, which also means sharper measures," he said on arrival.
Several other ministers entering the meeting called for an arms embargo on Russia to try to stem a flow of weapons that is fueling the conflict, including surface-to-air missiles suspected of bringing down the airliner.
The severity of the EU response could depend on the Netherlands, which suffered the greatest loss of life when Flight MH17 en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur crashed on Thursday - 193 of the 298 people killed were Dutch.
Hillary Rodham Clinton said on Monday that the US and Europe should work together to develop tougher sanctions on Russia, while she backed US President Barack Obama's calls for a thorough investigation into the downing of the passenger jet.
The former secretary of state said in a Facebook chat from the company's headquarters in Menlo Park, California, that tougher sanctions would make clear to Russian President Vladimir Putin "that there is a price to pay for this kind of behavior".
Clinton said she agreed with Obama's comments earlier Monday urging "immediate and full access" for investigators combing through the wreckage of the downed plane.
Clinton said the US should encourage Europeans to ensure that they are less dependent upon Russian energy. She called for "more support given to the Ukrainians to guard their borders and protect themselves".
Differences between Britain and France burst into the open on Monday when President Francois Hollande said delivery of a first French helicopter carrier built for Russia would go ahead, hours after British Prime Minister David Cameron had said such a delivery would be "unthinkable" in his country.
Hollande said the handover of a second warship under a $1.62 billion contract signed in 2011 by his predecessor would depend on Russia's attitude.
Britain's new Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said he would urge fellow ministers to "send a very clear and strong signal to Russia today".
Reuters - AP
(China Daily 07/23/2014 page12)
