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EU members do not have unanimity on further sanctions against Russia, says diplomat

The diplomat did not rule out the EU expand the list of Russian officials who would be subjected to sanctions

BRUSSELS, May 01 /ITAR-TASS/. Member-states of the EU have not ironed out disagreement on a further expansion of sanctions against Russia, a diplomat accredited with the mission of an East-European country told Itar-Tass Wednesday.

“A number of member-states have apprehensions regarding the reversibility of financial economic sanctions against Russia, should any such sanctions be endorsed,” the diplomat said commenting on a conference of EU ambassadors in Brussels around the situation in Ukraine.

The diplomat said the issue of a third phase of sanctions (financial and economic ones targeting whole sectors of Russian economy) will be put up for discussion at a session of EU Foreign Ministers who are due to get together in Brussels May 12.

The diplomat did not rule out the EU expand the list of Russian officials who would be subjected to sanctions in the form of travel visa bans and freezing of assets on the territories of the member states.

Diplomatic sources in Brussels indicate that Austria, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece, Hungary, Luxembourg, Malta, Portugal, and Spain raise objections against the application of financial and economic sanctions to Russia.

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