Britain said to seek EU defense export ban on Russia: Bloomberg

Reuters

(Reuters) - British Prime Minister David Cameron will push the European Union to accelerate existing sanctions against Russia and ban the export of defense equipment to the country, Bloomberg reported on Sunday. The news service, citing an unidentified official from Cameron's office, reported Britain will call for sanctions against the entire Russian defense sector as well as against individuals and firms who are supporting separatists in Ukraine or helping the Russian government. (http://bloom.bg/1u6rVQd) Britain, Germany and France agreed on Sunday they should be ready when European foreign ministers meet in Brussels on Tuesday to ratchet up sanctions on Russia over the downing of a Malaysia Airlines jet carrying 298 passengers. Before the jet crashed on Thursday in eastern Ukraine, killing all aboard, EU leaders had agreed to sanction some Russian companies and block new loans to Russia by multilateral lenders, but the measures still were less stringent than U.S. restrictions announced at the same time. (Reporting by Aashika Jain in Bangalore; Editing by Paul Simao)