"Everything is on the table" regarding new EU sanctions on Russia - but "de-escalation through diplomacy" remains the bloc's priority in the Ukraine crisis. So says EU Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders in an in-depth interview with FRANCE 24's Europe Editor Catherine Nicholson. The former Belgian foreign minister said the European Commission is preparing measures that could include individual sanctions on "people involved in the possible aggression – such as freezing their assets or a travel ban", as well as what he described as "concrete economic sanctions: transfer of technologies from Europe and in co-ordination with the United States; energy; and maybe financial services".
The Commissioner also commented on what many perceive as hesitancy from the German government to act, with Germany heavily reliant on Russian gas supplies; and on the unilateral intervention of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who flew to Moscow this week for a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Produced by Isabelle Romero, Sophie Samaille, Georgina Robertson and Perrine Desplats