EU, Germany send new warnings to Russia over Ukraine

A top European Union official has warned Russia that the bloc has a battery of additional sanctions ready if Moscow decides to invade neighboring Ukraine

BRUSSELS -- The chief of the European Union's executive warned Russia on Wednesday that the bloc has a battery of additional sanctions ready if Moscow decides to invade neighboring Ukraine.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said beyond scaling up and expanding existing sanctions, the EU can adopt "unprecedented measures with serious consequences for Russia.''

And in a sign of visible support, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz held a special meeting Wednesday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the eve of an EU summit where the military standoff will be a key point on the agenda.

Von der Leyen told the European Parliament that economic sanctions are already in place targeting Russia’s finance, energy and sectors because of its annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea Peninsula in 2014 and actions since that the West sees as increasingly aggressive.