EU leaders push Ukraine diplomacy, show unity on sanctions

By RAF CASERT and SAM PETREQUIN

BRUSSELS (AP) — European Union leaders have held a short summit meeting to push the chances of diplomacy to unlock the standoff over Ukraine and reaffirm their joint determination to impose massive sanctions if Russia invades its neighbor. The hastily called summit preceded a two-day EU-Africa meeting which brought the 27 EU leaders to Brussels. It did not go into deep detail of what sanctions should be used and how those measures would hit the economies of the member states. But since unanimity among the 27 is needed to impose sanctions, any show of unity is welcome for the bloc.