Riga - EU foreign ministers on Friday downplayed the threat of new sanctions against Russia but warned they remain on the table if Moscow undermined the latest Ukraine ceasefire accord.
France and Germany brokered a second Minsk peace agreement with Russia and Ukraine last month which so far seems to be holding, though the situation remains fragile and the outlook for full implementation is uncertain.
The concern in Brussels is that if the accord falls apart like its September predecessor, that would bolster calls in Washington for much tougher action, including possibly arming Kiev to combat the pro-Russian rebels.
"So far the ceasefire... is not perfect but for sure the trend is positive," EU foreign affairs head Federica Mogherini said as EU foreign ministers gathered in the Latvian capital Riga, where Russian intervention in Ukraine is seen as a direct security threat.
Asked about the possibility of additional sanctions, Mogherini said: "Obviously they are always there."
"They will not be lifted until something really good happens on the ground and on the other side we are always ready to increase the pressure if needed," she said.
"But I don't start from that. I start from the positive actions the European Union can do now to make things work."
What mattered was the ceasefire, especially the withdrawal of heavy weapons by both sides, Mogherini said, and to strengthen OSCE monitoring implementation on the ground.
AFP
