Russia May Face Tougher EU Sanctions over Ukraine, Says Polish Foreign Minister

Polish Foreign Minister Grzegorz Schetyna said Tuesday that the European Union will introduced tougher sanctions on Russia if Moscow did not change its policy regarding Ukraine.

Though the Ukrainian government and pro-Russian separatists signed a ceasefire agreement a month ago, several violations of the agreement have been reported which in turn has forced the west to put more pressure on Moscow.  

"If Russia does not change its policy, sanctions will be toughened and they will make themselves felt even more in Russia," Schetyna said in an interview with Polish broadcast Polsat News, reports Reuters.

"All the European countries are speaking with one voice, together with Australia, the United States and Canada. The free world says 'no' to this kind of policy," he said. "The Polish viewpoint is shared by other countries," he said.

Last month, Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk had requested the West not to end the sanctions imposed on Russia till Ukraine gots back control over the entire country.

 Western countries have accused Russia of giving military assistance to the pro- Russian separatists. However, Russia has continuously denied the allegations. It says that the Russians fighting alongside separatists in Ukraine are doing it in a personal capacity.

Meanwhile, defense officials In Ukraine said Tuesday that the pro Russian rebels were  fighting hard to seize the Donetsk airport in eastern Ukraine.

According to security spokesman Andriy Lysenko, the rebels fired at the terminal from tanks, artillery systems and rocket launchers, reports the Associated Press.

U.S.  Assistant Secretary of State, Victoria Nuland ,  on a visit to Ukraine, called for  ending the attacks on the airport as well as in other nearby towns.

In an indirect reference to the Russian backing of rebels, Nuland insisted that foreign armed forces must be withdrawn from Ukraine.