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The
United States and the European Union have threatened Russia with
new sanctions if it attacks Ukraine after massing troops near
its borders. Moscow denies planning an attack.
"These sanctions are designed in a way that they will be imposed
in the event of a further - or a new wave of - armed escalation,
Russia's armed aggression against Ukraine," Kuleba said beside
visiting Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has said Kyiv needs
action to be taken against Russia before any attack.
Kuleba said Russia had already violated international law and
this provided a basis for imposing sanctions.
He was referring to Russian passports being issued to some
Ukrainian citizens in separatist-controlled areas of eastern
Ukraine.
"Some sanctions could have been imposed earlier as well as right
now in order to demonstrate the seriousness of intentions and
readiness for decisive action," Kuleba said.
Over 700,000 Russian passports have been issued to residents of
eastern Ukraine since separatists seized territory there in
2014, and Russia's parliament is set to discuss making an appeal
Putin to recognise the breakaway areas as independent states.
Russia has denied violating any international laws in its troop
buildup near Ukraine. Western powers imposed sanctions on Russia
after it seized the Crimea region from Ukraine and backed the
separatists in eastern Ukraine.
(Reporting by Pavel Polityuk, Editing by Timothy Heritage)
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