EU considers tougher Russia sanctions

The Belarusian foreign ministry said on Thursday that it would host representatives of the Ukrainian and Russian governments, as well as the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) on Friday.

"The contact group on Ukraine has informed the Belarusian side of its intention to hold its next meeting in Minsk on January 30," a statement released by the foreign ministry said.

It wasn't immediately clear whether representatives of the pro-Russian separatists fighting against Kyiv's forces in eastern Ukraine would take part.

Minsk is where a peace plan was adopted including a ceasefire last September. However the truce has been repeatedly violated since then and fighting has increased markedly since the start of this year.

One of the worst incidents came early last Saturday, when, at least 30 people were killed and 83 others injured in a rocket attack on the port city of Mariupol, which is controlled by government troops.

EU ministers consider expanding sanctions

The attack sparked widespread international outrage and European Union foreign ministers gathered in Brussels on Thursday to consider stepping up sanctions on Russia over its alleged support of the rebels, something the Kremlin has repeatedly denied doing.

France appeared confident that they would agree on increasing the number of people on a so-called blacklist of individuals accused of stoking the fires of war by supporting the rebels.

"We will show the EU's very strong unity and take all necessary steps, including extending and expanding the individual sanctions, in order to secure a return to a negotiated solution," France's European affairs minister, Harlem Desir, told reporters in Brussels.

However, Germany's foreign minister appeared far less optimistic.

"The new position of the Greek government will not make the debate today easier," Frank-Walter-Steinmeier said. "That is why I cannot give you a prediction, where we are going to be at the end."

He was referring to a complaint issued by the new left-wing government in Athens earlier this week about not being consulted about a statement on possible new sanctions, issued by the EU's foreign policy coordinator, Federica Mogherini.

On Thursday, Greece's new finance minister, Yanis Varoufakis used a posting on his personal blog to try to clarify Athens' position, calling the entry: "The Greek veto over Russia that never was."

In the post, Varoufakis said that Greece's new government was upset not because new sanctions might be levied against Russia, but because the plans were floated without including the Syriza-led government.

"The problem was that he [Foreign Minister Kotzias], and the new Greek government, were never asked!," Varoufakis wrote. "So, clearly, the issue was not whether our new government agrees or not with fresh sanctions on Russia. The issue is whether our view can be taken for granted without even being told of what it is!"

pfd/msh (AFP, dpa, Reuters)