Despite tough rhetoric decrying Russia's increasing military
involvement in Ukraine, European Union leaders early on Sunday stopped
short of imposing immediate new sanctions against Moscow.
Instead, the 28-nation bloc's heads of state and government tasked their executive body to "urgently undertake preparatory work" for tougher economic sanctions, according to summit chairman Herman Van Rompuy, the European Council President.
European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said that EU leaders were in total agreement that, should Russia continue to escalate the crisis, "it will come at high cost".
Barroso said there was a marked contrast between Russia's repeated commitments to political dialogue to end the crisis and what he described as "the dramatic reality on the ground".
"There can be no military solution to this crisis," he added. "It's time for everyone to get down to the business of peacemaking. It is not too late, but time is quickly running out."
The fighting between the military and Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine has so far claimed 2,600 lives, according to U.N. figures.
NATO said this week that at least 1,000 Russian soldiers are in Ukraine, which Russia denies.
Another 20,000 Russian troops are amassed just across Ukraine's eastern border, NATO says.
The U.S. and the EU have so far imposed sanctions against dozens of Russian officials, several companies as well as the country's financial and arms industry.
Moscow has retaliated by banning food imports.
Instead, the 28-nation bloc's heads of state and government tasked their executive body to "urgently undertake preparatory work" for tougher economic sanctions, according to summit chairman Herman Van Rompuy, the European Council President.
European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said that EU leaders were in total agreement that, should Russia continue to escalate the crisis, "it will come at high cost".
Barroso said there was a marked contrast between Russia's repeated commitments to political dialogue to end the crisis and what he described as "the dramatic reality on the ground".
"There can be no military solution to this crisis," he added. "It's time for everyone to get down to the business of peacemaking. It is not too late, but time is quickly running out."
The fighting between the military and Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine has so far claimed 2,600 lives, according to U.N. figures.
NATO said this week that at least 1,000 Russian soldiers are in Ukraine, which Russia denies.
Another 20,000 Russian troops are amassed just across Ukraine's eastern border, NATO says.
The U.S. and the EU have so far imposed sanctions against dozens of Russian officials, several companies as well as the country's financial and arms industry.
Moscow has retaliated by banning food imports.
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