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| Europe Set to Toughen Sanctions on Moscow | |
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| LONDON — With both new resolve and longstanding trepidation, leaders of the European Union prepared on Tuesday to approve an array of more rigorous sanctions designed to punish Russia for supporting the separatists battling government forces in eastern Ukraine. | LONDON — With both new resolve and longstanding trepidation, leaders of the European Union prepared on Tuesday to approve an array of more rigorous sanctions designed to punish Russia for supporting the separatists battling government forces in eastern Ukraine. |
| Despite concerns that their economies could pay a price for confronting the Kremlin more aggressively, European governments were moving in lock step with the United States on a new round of sanctions, a day after the leaders of Germany, Britain, France and Italy agreed during a video conference with President Obama that additional action was necessary in the wake of a buildup of Russian forces along the border with Ukraine. | Despite concerns that their economies could pay a price for confronting the Kremlin more aggressively, European governments were moving in lock step with the United States on a new round of sanctions, a day after the leaders of Germany, Britain, France and Italy agreed during a video conference with President Obama that additional action was necessary in the wake of a buildup of Russian forces along the border with Ukraine. |
| Imposition of the sanctions would mark an expansion and escalation of a confrontation with Russia that is arguably the most serious of the post-Cold War era and a test of the European Union’s ability to act decisively in a foreign policy crisis. | Imposition of the sanctions would mark an expansion and escalation of a confrontation with Russia that is arguably the most serious of the post-Cold War era and a test of the European Union’s ability to act decisively in a foreign policy crisis. |
| Ukrainian military forces have been pushing the pro-Russian separatists back in recent days amid intensified fighting. The battles have further complicated efforts by an international police force to reach the wreckage of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, which was shot down over a region that is now a battlefield. The experts were prevented from reaching the crash site again on Tuesday by sharp clashes near the site and reports of explosions in Donetsk. | Ukrainian military forces have been pushing the pro-Russian separatists back in recent days amid intensified fighting. The battles have further complicated efforts by an international police force to reach the wreckage of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, which was shot down over a region that is now a battlefield. The experts were prevented from reaching the crash site again on Tuesday by sharp clashes near the site and reports of explosions in Donetsk. |
| The combination of the new sanctions, the Ukrainian military offensive and an accusation on Monday by the United States that Russia had violated a landmark arms control treaty has put President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia under additional international pressure and threatens to leave Russia more isolated from Western Europe, the United States and their allies. In addition, an international court on Monday ordered Russia to pay investors more than $50 billion for the seizure a decade ago of the now-defunct Yukos oil company. | The combination of the new sanctions, the Ukrainian military offensive and an accusation on Monday by the United States that Russia had violated a landmark arms control treaty has put President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia under additional international pressure and threatens to leave Russia more isolated from Western Europe, the United States and their allies. In addition, an international court on Monday ordered Russia to pay investors more than $50 billion for the seizure a decade ago of the now-defunct Yukos oil company. |
| But Mr. Putin, backed by public opinion at home, has shown no signs of backing down even as the Russian economy faces the risk that the new sanctions could have a substantial impact. Offering a possible foretaste of potential reprisals against Europe, Moscow reacted tartly on Tuesday to a Japanese announcement of sanctions on individuals deemed to be contributing to instability in eastern Ukraine, calling the measures “unfriendly” and threatening countermeasures, Reuters reported. | But Mr. Putin, backed by public opinion at home, has shown no signs of backing down even as the Russian economy faces the risk that the new sanctions could have a substantial impact. Offering a possible foretaste of potential reprisals against Europe, Moscow reacted tartly on Tuesday to a Japanese announcement of sanctions on individuals deemed to be contributing to instability in eastern Ukraine, calling the measures “unfriendly” and threatening countermeasures, Reuters reported. |
| “The imposition by Tokyo of new sanctions on Russia inevitably threaten a whole range of bilateral relations, and set them back,” the Foreign Ministry in Moscow said in a statement. | “The imposition by Tokyo of new sanctions on Russia inevitably threaten a whole range of bilateral relations, and set them back,” the Foreign Ministry in Moscow said in a statement. |
| Despite the diplomatic unity among the Western allies over the necessity of confronting Mr. Putin more directly, there were immediate signs of concern that the new sanctions could boomerang on still-fragile European economies that rely partly on Russian energy supplies and are bound closely to Moscow through banking and finance, industrial trade and technology and arms deals. Europe’s economic ties to Russia are much closer than those of the United States. | Despite the diplomatic unity among the Western allies over the necessity of confronting Mr. Putin more directly, there were immediate signs of concern that the new sanctions could boomerang on still-fragile European economies that rely partly on Russian energy supplies and are bound closely to Moscow through banking and finance, industrial trade and technology and arms deals. Europe’s economic ties to Russia are much closer than those of the United States. |
| In London, the oil giant BP, the biggest foreign investor in the Russian oil industry with a 19.75 percent stake in the Rosneft state oil company, warned bluntly on Tuesday in a message to investors that “any future erosion of our relationship with Rosneft, or the impact of further economic sanctions, could adversely impact our business and strategic objectives in Russia, the level of our income, production and reserves, our investment in Rosneft and our reputation.” | In London, the oil giant BP, the biggest foreign investor in the Russian oil industry with a 19.75 percent stake in the Rosneft state oil company, warned bluntly on Tuesday in a message to investors that “any future erosion of our relationship with Rosneft, or the impact of further economic sanctions, could adversely impact our business and strategic objectives in Russia, the level of our income, production and reserves, our investment in Rosneft and our reputation.” |
| Officials in Brussels said that measures being prepared at a meeting of European ambassadors would straddle a delicate line. “My assessment is that this package strikes the right balance,” said Herman Van Rompuy, the head of the European Council made up of Europe’s 28 political leaders, according to news reports. “It should have a strong impact on Russia’s economy while keeping a moderate effect on E.U. economies.” | Officials in Brussels said that measures being prepared at a meeting of European ambassadors would straddle a delicate line. “My assessment is that this package strikes the right balance,” said Herman Van Rompuy, the head of the European Council made up of Europe’s 28 political leaders, according to news reports. “It should have a strong impact on Russia’s economy while keeping a moderate effect on E.U. economies.” |
| The package to be finalized Tuesday is designed to match and in some cases exceed measures taken by Mr. Obama this month to block access to medium- and long-term American capital markets for some of Russia’s largest and most global banking and energy companies. The measures would also go beyond earlier European asset freezes and travel restrictions imposed on individuals believed to be shaping events in Ukraine. | The package to be finalized Tuesday is designed to match and in some cases exceed measures taken by Mr. Obama this month to block access to medium- and long-term American capital markets for some of Russia’s largest and most global banking and energy companies. The measures would also go beyond earlier European asset freezes and travel restrictions imposed on individuals believed to be shaping events in Ukraine. |
| The newest European plan foresees the imposition of similar capital-market restrictions on Russian state-owned banks; an embargo on future sales of arms; and restriction on so-called dual-use equipment with both civilian and military purposes, according to officials briefed on the discussions. The Europeans are also considering limits on technology sales to Russia’s oil industry. | The newest European plan foresees the imposition of similar capital-market restrictions on Russian state-owned banks; an embargo on future sales of arms; and restriction on so-called dual-use equipment with both civilian and military purposes, according to officials briefed on the discussions. The Europeans are also considering limits on technology sales to Russia’s oil industry. |
| Those measures would be followed by new American action against more Russian banks, designed to close an economic net around the Russian economy. | Those measures would be followed by new American action against more Russian banks, designed to close an economic net around the Russian economy. |
| Ambassadors from the European Union member states began their meeting at the Justus Lipsius building in Brussels, where their deliberations were expected to run into late evening on Tuesday as the envoys finalize details that will enable them to publish the names of some Russian oligarchs subject to individual sanctions and to push forward with the broader sanctions agreed upon with the United States. | Ambassadors from the European Union member states began their meeting at the Justus Lipsius building in Brussels, where their deliberations were expected to run into late evening on Tuesday as the envoys finalize details that will enable them to publish the names of some Russian oligarchs subject to individual sanctions and to push forward with the broader sanctions agreed upon with the United States. |
| At a meeting on Monday, the ambassadors reached a preliminary agreement on the names of oligarchs to be subjected to asset freezes and travel bans. Those measures, aimed at Mr. Putin’s inner circle, could go into force as soon as late Wednesday. | At a meeting on Monday, the ambassadors reached a preliminary agreement on the names of oligarchs to be subjected to asset freezes and travel bans. Those measures, aimed at Mr. Putin’s inner circle, could go into force as soon as late Wednesday. |
| As for the separate sanctions that would touch broad sectors of the Russian economy, the ambassadors must first agree on the final text during their meeting Tuesday. The ambassadors also must agree on a date for when sanctions should begin and allow time for the European Parliament to be consulted. | As for the separate sanctions that would touch broad sectors of the Russian economy, the ambassadors must first agree on the final text during their meeting Tuesday. The ambassadors also must agree on a date for when sanctions should begin and allow time for the European Parliament to be consulted. |
| During their deliberations on Tuesday, ambassadors may also take time to agree on a process to scale up, or scale down, the sanctions, depending on how events unfold in Ukraine. | During their deliberations on Tuesday, ambassadors may also take time to agree on a process to scale up, or scale down, the sanctions, depending on how events unfold in Ukraine. |
| The ambassadors could also agree to postpone when the sanctions — both on the oligarchs and on broad swaths of the economy — go into effect to give Russia another chance to change policy on Ukraine. But the expectation among European Union officials was that the governments would agree to put the sanctions into effect as soon as possible by sending them for publication in the Union’s Official Journal in the coming days. | The ambassadors could also agree to postpone when the sanctions — both on the oligarchs and on broad swaths of the economy — go into effect to give Russia another chance to change policy on Ukraine. But the expectation among European Union officials was that the governments would agree to put the sanctions into effect as soon as possible by sending them for publication in the Union’s Official Journal in the coming days. |