Frans Timmermans said "unanimous" and "forceful" decisions had been taken on enhanced sanctions against Russia over the Ukraine conflict.

 

The UK has pushed for the Russian arms sector to be targeted.

 

Western leaders accuse Russia of arming rebels in eastern Ukraine, and believe they shot down an airliner² there.

 

There is widespread anger over the Malaysia Airlines crash in eastern Ukraine, in which 298 people died. 

 

The sanctions are aimed at forcing Russia to help defuse the Ukraine conflict and put pressure on the rebels to disarm³.

 

A new sanctions list naming individuals and organisations will be drawn⁴ up by EU ambassadors by Thursday, Mr Timmermans told reporters after meeting his EU colleagues in Brussels. 

 

He said there was also 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. 

 

But the BBC's Europe editor Gavin Hewitt says it is still unclear if EU leaders will be prepared to accept harm to their own economies in order to punish Russian President Vladimir Putin.

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