EU ambassadors late on Sunday (16 March) agreed to impose a “limited” set of visa bans and asset freezes on Russia in reaction to the referendum in Crimea.

A diplomatic source said the late night meeting in Brussels “reached agreement on a list of names [of Russian officials] which is quite limited both in terms of their rank and the number of people.”

The contact added that southern countries, including Cyprus, Greece, Portugal, and Spain, which did not want a more hard-hitting reaction, “had quiet support” from France and Germany, while the UK had called for a more robust response.

A second EU source said foreign ministers meeting also in Brussels on Monday “might reopen discussion” on the list. But the contact added: “At this late stage, I think they will focus instead on sending out a unified EU message.”

[Source]