Merkel ally: Europe may ramp up sanctions on Russia following ship seizure
Norbert Roettgen, a member of Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democratic Union who chairs the German parliamentary foreign affairs committee, said Russia's behavior was deeply worrying.
By REUTERSUpdated: NOVEMBER 27, 2018 10:05Protesters gather in front of the Russian embassy after Russia seized three Ukrainian naval ships and detained the crew at the weekend, in Warsaw, Poland November 26, 2018.(photo credit: AGENCJA GAZETA/SLAWOMIR KAMINSK VIA HANDOUT/REUTERS)
BERLIN - Europe may need to impose tougher sanctions against Moscow following Russia's seizure of Ukrainian vessels, an ally of German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Tuesday.Ukraine President Petro Poroshenko has warned of the "extremely serious" threat of a land invasion after Russia seized three Ukrainian naval ships and took their crew prisoner at the weekend.Norbert Roettgen, a member of Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democratic Union who chairs the German parliamentary foreign affairs committee, said Russia's behavior was deeply worrying and that tougher sanctions were an option."So far there are no talks about tougher sanctions but I generally would not rule this out," Roettgen told Deutschlandfunk radio."In my view, such behavior cannot remain without consequences and I don't think one should say that there won't be any further sanctions."Merkel has stressed the need for dialog while the European Union, Britain, France, Poland, Denmark, and Canada all condemned what they called Russian aggression.
