BRUSSELS: The European Union must start imposing some sanctions on Russia now to show it is serious about wanting to prevent a war in Ukraine, Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said as he arrived in Brussels to meet the bloc's foreign ministers.

Western countries fear a buildup of Russian troops near Ukraine in recent weeks is a prelude to an invasion and say this would trigger "massive" sanctions against Moscow. Russia denies any plans to invade but wants sweeping security guarantees.

"We expect decisions," Kuleba said. "There are plenty of decisions the European Union can make now to send clear messages to Russia that its escalation will not be tolerated and Ukraine will not be left on its own."

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"We believe that there are good and legitimate reasons to impose at least some of the sanctions now to demonstrate that the European Union is not only talking the talk about sanctions, but is also walking the walk."

But the EU's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell appeared to reject the idea of immediate sanctions, saying he still saw room for diplomacy.