EU Summit Starts by Shifting Focus to Ukraine – EU Envoy to Russia

© Flickr / Giampaolo SquarcinaOn Saturday, the European Council gathers in Brussels to decide who could replace Herman Van Rompuy and Catherine Ashton.
On Saturday, the European Council gathers in Brussels to decide who could replace Herman Van Rompuy and Catherine Ashton. - Sputnik International
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The initial focus of Saturday’s EU summit has shifted from appointing two senior EU chiefs to discussing the crisis in Ukraine, European Ambassador to Russia Vygaudas Usackas told RIA Novosti.

MOSCOW, August 30 (RIA Novosti) – The initial focus of Saturday’s EU summit has shifted from appointing two senior EU chiefs to discussing the crisis in Ukraine, European Ambassador to Russia Vygaudas Usackas told RIA Novosti.

"Firstly, the summit was planned a long time ago, in July. The main objective of the summit was planned to be the appointment of the president of the European Council and, of course, the EU's foreign policy chief," Usackas said.

"However, the fact that the situation in Ukraine will be discussed in spite of the initial intents and objectives demonstrates the severity of the situation and deep concern. The EU leaders will discuss and assess the situation in Ukraine, as well as the role of Russia in it," the EU envoy added.

On Saturday, the European Council gathers in Brussels to decide who could replace Herman Van Rompuy and Catherine Ashton. The summit follows an earlier attempt on July 16 to choose the EU's future leadership, which ended in deadlock.

The EU leaders also expected to discuss further economic sanctions against Russia as well as EU possible help to Ukraine.

Relations between Russia and the West have deteriorated in regard to the situation in Ukraine. The West has repeatedly accused Russia of building up forces on its border with eastern Ukraine and supplying independence supporters with weapons, a claim Moscow has rejected.

In late July, the European Union and the United States proceeded from individual sanctions imposed on a number of people and companies to penalties on whole sectors of the Russian economy. In response, Russia limited food imports from countries that imposed sanctions on it, namely the US, the EU member states, Canada, Australia and Norway.

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