BRUSSELS – European Union foreign ministers on Monday were assessing the bloc's strategy toward Russia in the wake of the military buildup on Ukraine's borders and amid the weakening health of imprisoned opposition leader Alexei Navalny.
On top of that, the diplomatic standoff between EU member state the Czech Republic and Russia over tit-for-tat diplomatic expulsions following Prague's accusation that Moscow was involved in a 2014 ammunition depot explosion, is adding further tension between both sides.
Diplomats said there was little to no chance of immediate new sanctions on Moscow, but they will seek to apply pressure nevertheless.