Merkel urges EU to greenlight sanctions

German Chancellor Angela Merkel called on Wednesday for the European Union to move quickly on new sanctions against Russia, saying they could always be lifted if the Ukraine cease-fire holds.

Merkel told the EU Parliament that the 28-country bloc needed to bring pressure to bear against Moscow now to foster an end to fighting in eastern Ukraine.

She said a lingering "lack of clarity" about respect for the terms of the cease-fire meant "that we are pushing for these sanctions to be published now" so they can come into force.

She said that if the guns fall silent in eastern Ukraine, "then Germany will be the first to call for the sanctions to be lifted".

"Sanctions are only imposed when they are unavoidable," she said.

AFP

(China Daily 09/11/2014 page12)