EU hopes to avoid Ukraine war with talks, sanctions threat

BRUSSELS – European Union held a acme Thursday focused connected preventing a Russian subject penetration of neighboring Ukraine with threats of unprecedented sanctions for Moscow and the committedness of diplomatic talks.

And connected a time of diplomatic moves, Russia said it submitted draught documents to the United States outlining information arrangements that would preclude NATO’s enlargement to Ukraine.

A Russian military buildup connected Ukraine's borderline took halfway signifier astatine the acme of the EU's 27 leaders, coming connected the heels of a plea from Ukraine's president for much sanctions to beryllium imposed earlier immoderate imaginable incursion alternatively of after.

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said the EU should not underestimate the menace Russia's unit buildup poses, adding that helium sees Moscow's actions arsenic creating the worst information concern since the illness of the Soviet Union.

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“I’m talking not lone astir Ukraine," Nauseda said, stressing that NATO's eastbound flank and the Baltic portion should besides beryllium concerned.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz warned Moscow not to transverse immoderate lines.

"The inviolability of borders is 1 of the precise important foundations of bid successful Europe and that we volition each bash everything unneurotic to guarantee that this inviolability really remains intact,” Scholz said arsenic helium entered the one-day summit.

Many of the leaders said they looked toward diplomatic talks to stave disconnected subject enactment successful Ukraine. Prime Minister Janez Jansa of Slovenia, which holds the EU's rotating presidency until the extremity of the year, suggested talks betwixt France, Germany, Ukraine and Russia.

“Maybe determination are immoderate unfastened channels for immoderate superior negotiations” implicit the coming days, Jansa said.

Moscow denies that it has immoderate plans to onslaught Ukraine, but did truthful successful 2014 erstwhile it annexed the Crimean Peninsula. U.S. quality officials accidental Russia has moved 70,000 troops and is preparing for a imaginable penetration aboriginal adjacent year.

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“It is not mean for regular subject exercises," Jansa said, adding that there's nary uncertainty that Russia is utilizing its subject mightiness to enactment Ukraine nether pressure.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged EU leaders precocious Wednesday to swiftly enforce caller sanctions connected Russia earlier it invades his country, informing that acting aft immoderate struggle would beryllium acold excessively late.

Zelenskyy said Ukraine stands acceptable to participate into talks with Russia to easiness tensions but that Russian President Vladimir Putin doesn't look consenting to travel to the array astatine the moment.

France and Germany brokered a bid statement successful 2015 that helped extremity large-scale hostilities successful eastbound Ukraine, wherever Ukrainian forces person been warring Russia-backed separatists since 2014. But the conflict, which has near 14,000 dead, has simmered.

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EU leaders are wide expected to o.k. connected Thursday a draught acme conclusion, seen by The Associated Press, that warns that “any further subject aggression against Ukraine volition person monolithic consequences and terrible outgo successful response.”

European officials reason that it’s a amended deterrent to support Putin successful the acheronian astir what measures mightiness beryllium utilized against him.

Asked by reporters whether Europe would enactment connected Zelenskyy’s call, European Council President Charles Michel said: “We person sanctions successful place, we are acceptable to instrumentality further sanctions if needed, and we volition see” what happens.

Despite Moscow's threat, Nauseda inactive has a consciousness of optimism.

“I deliberation we person capable tools successful bid to halt Russia from its assertive behavior," helium said.

The U.S. and the EU person been coordinating their effect to the Russians, but nary existent details of immoderate sanctions person emerged.

The Kremlin connected Thursday again prodded Western leaders to supply legally binding guarantees precluding NATO’s enlargement to Ukraine and the deployment of the alliance's weapons there, calling specified moves a “red line” for Moscow.

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The U.S. and its allies person refused to marque specified a pledge, but Putin and U.S. President Joe Biden agreed past week connected further talks to sermon Russian concerns.

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Frank Jordans from Berlin and Vladimir Isachenkov from Moscow contributed.

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