MNI BRIEF: EU Countries Disagree On Russia Sanctions-Sources

EU countries are set to announce sanctions targeting the Russian military, high tech sectors and market financing for state-owned companies later on Thursday, but the bloc remains divided with some members wanting to avoid the harshest measures straight away, diplomatic sources told MNI.

While the second package of sanctions will be larger than Monday’s, including measures against Russian exports and the financial, transport and energy sectors, Germany is arguing for an incremental approach, leaving tools available for later, a diplomatic source said, while Belgium, Cyprus and Italy are keen to avoid broad banking sanctions.

While the question of banning Russian access to international interbank payments system SWIFT would be on the table, it might not be agreed tonight, another source said.