The European Union joined calls on Monday for Russia not to annex or recognise breakaway Ukrainian regions, warning of sanctions from the 27-nation bloc should Moscow do so.
Russian president Vladimir Putin said earlier on Monday he could recognise the two Russian-backed breakaway regions as independent, an aggressive move likely to torpedo a last-minute bid for a summit to prevent war.
"If there is annexation, there will be sanctions, and if there is recognition, I will put the sanctions on the table and the ministers will decide," the EU's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said after a meeting of the bloc's foreign ministers.
"We call on president Putin to respect international law," he said.
"We are ready to react with a strong united front in case he should decide" to ignore these calls, he said.
Western countries fear a build-up of Russian troops near Ukraine in recent weeks is a prelude to an invasion, which Moscow denies.
The United States and European allies have said any attack would trigger severe sanctions against Moscow, but Kyiv wants these to be imposed now, its foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba said in Brussels earlier on Monday.
"We believe that there are good and legitimate reasons to impose at least some of the sanctions now to demonstrate that the European Union is not only talking the talk about sanctions, but is also walking the walk."
The EU ministers backed plans announced last month for a €1.2 billion financial aid loan package for Ukraine, and also agreed in principle to a long-standing Ukrainian request for a small-scale mission of military instructors to help train officers. - Reuters
