Russia slams fresh EU sanctions over Ukraine

In a statement published on Tuesday, the Russian Foreign Ministry called the sanctions baseless.

"We declare once again that any sanctions against Russia would be groundless and counterproductive," the statement said.

It also called on the EU to stop trying to intimidate Moscow, and make an effort to find a solution to the unrest in Ukraine.

"Instead of scaring us with another set of sanctions, the European Union should focus on the joint search for a solution for Ukraine's internal crisis."

On Monday, EU foreign ministers meeting in Luxembourg agreed to target more Russian official with asset freezes and visa bans for allegedly increasing tensions in Ukraine’s east.

Following the meeting, British Foreign Secretary William Hague announced that the 28-member block could impose even more sanctions against Russia.

Meanwhile, the United States has signaled that fresh sanctions could be enforced against Russia.

The US and the EU have already imposed visa bans and asset freezes on Russian officials including some of the closest allies of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Western sanctions could provoke a backlash as the EU gets a quarter of its energy supplies from Russia.

Tensions between the Western powers and Moscow heightened after Crimea declared independence from Ukraine and formally applied to become part of the Russian Federation following a referendum on March 16, in which nearly 97 percent of voters in Crimea chose to rejoin Russia.

HK