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MH17 plane crash: UK wants EU to widen Russia sanctions MH17 plane crash: EU to widen Russia sanctions to arms
(about 5 hours later)
The UK is urging EU foreign ministers to impose tougher sanctions on Russia amid widespread anger over the Malaysia Airlines crash in east Ukraine. The EU will widen its sanctions against Russia to include more individuals and consider targeting the defence sector, the Dutch foreign minister says.
France hinted that it could suspend delivery of a warship to Russia, as the ministers gathered in Brussels. Frans Timmermans said "unanimous" and "forceful" decisions had been taken on enhanced sanctions against Russia over the Ukraine conflict.
Earlier UK Prime Minister David Cameron attacked the sale of two French Mistral helicopter carriers - a deal also criticised by the US and other leaders. The UK has pushed for the Russian arms sector to be targeted.
The UK will also re-examine the death of Russian ex-spy Alexander Litvinenko. Western leaders accuse Russia of arming rebels in eastern Ukraine, and believe they shot down an airliner there.
The former KGB officer died in 2006 in a London hospital after he was allegedly poisoned with radioactive polonium. The UK government now plans to examine whether the Russian state targeted him. There is widespread anger over the Malaysia Airlines crash in eastern Ukraine, in which 298 people died.
A new sanctions list will be drawn up by EU ambassadors by Thursday at the latest, Mr Timmermans told reporters after meeting his EU colleagues in Brussels.
He said there was agreement that the European Commission would look at further measures to be taken against Russia in the fields of defence, concerning "dual-use goods in the field of energy", and in financial services.
The EU and US have imposed asset freezes and travel bans on some top Russian officials, military commanders and companies since Moscow's annexation of Crimea in March.
Extending sanctions to the arms sector was a key demand of UK Prime Minister David Cameron as EU foreign ministers met in Brussels on Tuesday.
International experts are now examining plane wreckage at the disaster scene in eastern Ukraine and most of the bodies have been moved in refrigerated train carriages to Kharkiv, outside the rebel-controlled area.
The Netherlands lost 193 nationals in the flight MH17 disaster - more than any other country.
The Dutch Prime Minister, Mark Rutte, said attitudes towards Russia had fundamentally changed since the airliner was shot down last Thursday. He urged the EU to put pressure on Moscow to end the violence in eastern Ukraine.
Pressure over warships
Earlier Mr Cameron condemned France's sale of two Mistral helicopter carriers to Russia - a deal also criticised by the US.
France hinted that it could suspend delivery of one of the warships to Russia, depending on Russia's attitude to the Ukraine conflict.
Mr Cameron has said there is a "reluctance" among some European countries to take more decisive action against Russia.Mr Cameron has said there is a "reluctance" among some European countries to take more decisive action against Russia.
Western leaders accuse Russia of arming the rebels in eastern Ukraine, and believe they shot down flight MH17 last Thursday with a ground-to-air missile.
Many EU countries, including Germany and Italy, are heavily reliant on Russian gas.Many EU countries, including Germany and Italy, are heavily reliant on Russian gas.
Pressure over warships
When asked about the Mistral warship deal with Russia, French President Francois Hollande said the first of two ships "is almost finished and must be delivered in October".When asked about the Mistral warship deal with Russia, French President Francois Hollande said the first of two ships "is almost finished and must be delivered in October".
The rest of the contract would depend on Russia's attitude over Ukraine, he said.The rest of the contract would depend on Russia's attitude over Ukraine, he said.
"But at this point no sanctions have been agreed that would force us to abandon [the contract]," he said. "We're not at that stage yet - we'll see if the Russians behave badly," he said, quoted by French news website Europe 1."But at this point no sanctions have been agreed that would force us to abandon [the contract]," he said. "We're not at that stage yet - we'll see if the Russians behave badly," he said, quoted by French news website Europe 1.
A source close to Mr Hollande said: "France, for now, wants the sanctions to be financial, targeted and swift."A source close to Mr Hollande said: "France, for now, wants the sanctions to be financial, targeted and swift."
The Malaysia Airlines crash in eastern Ukraine, which killed 298 people, is a "defining moment" for Moscow, Mr Cameron said on Monday, calling on the EU to consider an arms embargo.
He voiced disgust at the pro-Russian rebels' mishandling of plane debris and victims' remains at the disaster site. A train carrying the remains of victims from the plane has now arrived in the eastern city of Kharkiv, outside the rebel-held area.
Sanctions debate
There are fears in some EU countries that a move against Russian energy exports could undermine the fragile recovery in the eurozone, the BBC's Europe Editor Gavin Hewitt says.
But a deal could see sanctions on specific Russian businesses, organisations and individuals strengthened.
There are growing calls for the EU to match US sanctions, which target members of President Vladimir Putin's inner circle and their companies.
Addressing MPs on Monday, Mr Cameron said the "weight of evidence" pointed to the Malaysian jet being shot by a rebel missile and that "a conflict that could have been curtailed by Moscow has instead been fomented by Moscow".
He said: "President Putin faces a clear choice in how he decides to respond to this appalling tragedy. I hope he will use this moment to find a path out of this festering and dangerous crisis by ending Russia's support for the separatists.
"If he does not change his approach to Ukraine in this then Europe and the West must fundamentally change our approach to Russia."
Mr Cameron said the rest of the EU could no longer "turn a blind eye" to the crisis.