EU's Barroso says Europe divided over Ukraine crisis

[dipsydoodle]

Source: Reuters

May 9 (Reuters) - European Union countries are struggling to agree the approach to take on the crisis in Ukraine, despite broad condemnation of the actions of Russia, outgoing European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said on Friday.

Barroso, who is due to step down after 10 years in office, said the Ukraine crisis was the biggest threat to security in Europe since the fall of the Berlin Wall with greater potential for destabilisation than the Balkan wars of the 1990s.

He said European countries had decided to support Ukraine and to show that Russia's actions had to have consequences but he said settling on a united response was "still a work in progress" given different views by EU member states.

"And this, let's be honest, this is the issue," he said.

EU countries have moved slowly towards agreeing a tougher line on applying sanctions against Russian companies but Barroso's comments underline how difficult it will be to reach any more far-reaching agreement.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/05/09/ukraine-crisis-barroso-idUSL6N0NV20T20140509

[jakeXT]

1. Reform contracts/Maastricht, 'sanctions' against itself ... what genius move will come next ?

Dutch PM threatened in 2012 to quit euro zone over reform contracts: newspaper

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/04/30/us-eurozone-dutch-crisis-idUSBREA3T06R20140430

[dipsydoodle]

2. Reforming such agreements requires the consent of ALL 28 member states.

The Dutch made it clear they would use their veto.

Similarly at present EU sanctions against Russia would not be supported by Portugal, Italy, Greece, Cyprus , Hungary , Bulgaria .....................I've lost track there are so many.

In the case of Bulgaria if they agreed their government would fall almost overnight.