Europe has a problem with Russia – diplomats recognize that Moscow is the problem in Ukraine, but can’t get away from the fact that Moscow is also more than likely part of the solution.  So, European Union (EU) foreign ministers agreed to crank up economic sanctions on the Moscow-backed rebels in Ukraine, but not to increase sanctions on Moscow itself.

The ministers met in Brussels on Monday to discuss sanctions, and came up with the measured approach, despite the objections of Ukraine’s FM Pavlo Klimkin.

“We need a real deterrent here in the sense of sanctions and in the sense of propping up and strengthening military capability,” Klimkin told EU ministers, “We are frightened, in the east of Ukraine, not only for Donetsk and Luhansk and not only for Ukraine, but also for the safety and security of the European Union.”

But despite a series of sanctions that have been steadily increased since January, the council went no further than issuing a statement calling for “a halt to the continuous violations of the ceasefire” and “a withdrawal of all illegal and foreign forces” (.pdf link).  The insurgency in the east has killed more than 4,000 people since the beginning of the year.

On the other side of Europe, Russia expelled a number of Polish diplomats in a tit-for-tat move after Warsaw sent a Russian packing.  Polish officials said that a Russian diplomat had been expelled for contact with a Polish army colonel who was arrested last month on suspicion of spying for Moscow.

Russia responded by kicking out the Polish diplomats, claiming they had been expelled for “activities incompatible with their status”.