WARSAW, February 25. /TASS/. Western countries should prepare a package of new sanctions against Russia if east Ukraine's militia forces start attacking the port city of Mariupol, Poland’s foreign minister said on Tuesday.
"A draft of further sanctions should already be prepared and lying on the table," Grzegorz Schetyna told a local television programme.
"Russia should understand that if it allows an attack on Mariupol, these sanctions will be imposed automatically," he said, noting that further restrictive measures could include disconnecting Russia from the SWIFT international bank transaction system, an embargo on Russian coal exports and many other steps.
"We know what we can do," Schetyna said, adding that "many changes will take place, including in Europe’s and global policy towards Russia."
Assessing recent developments in Ukraine, the foreign minister noted that "the only positive detail is a reduction in the number of war incidents."
"There is a chance that fewer people will die," he said.
When asked about possible arms supplies to Ukraine, Schetyna said: "The escalation of hostilities could not be a response to the inability to reach a political and diplomatic agreement."
"We are always talking about the ways to effectively stop people's deaths," he added.