Steinmeier says Russia may come under new sanctions

The worsening situation in the east of Ukraine may land Russia with new EU sanctions, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said.

"The attack or ongoing offensive in the direction of Mariupol indicates a qualitative change in the situation, and therefore we need to respond," he was quoted by the news agency Interfax.

In this case, Steinmeier stressed that the upcoming meeting of EU foreign ministers on Thursday is not a "generation of sanctions as such", but a "deterring of attacks" aimed at achieving a long-term ceasefire.