MOSCOW, July 21 (RIA Novosti) — British Prime Minister David Cameron is set to push the European Union to toughen existing sanctions against Russia and ban the export of defense equipment to Moscow, Bloomberg has reported citing an official.
Britain is expected to call for sanctions against the entire Russian defense sector and more individuals and companies it accuses of supporting independence supporters in Ukraine, said the official from Cameron’s office, speaking on condition of anonymity.
UK Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond told BBC Sunday that Britain will call on its European partners to expand sanctions against Russia if Moscow fails to change its stance on Ukraine.
Cameron announced that Russia would bear responsibility for the crash of MH 17 flight in case it was proved that the plane had been shot down by independence supporters.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a phone conversation with Cameron on Sunday that it is vital to abstain from making hasty conclusions and politicized statements before international investigation into the Malaysia Airlines plane crash in eastern Ukraine is completed.
Putin extended condolences to Cameron over the death of ten UK nationals in the Malaysia Airlines' MH17 crash, stressing that this tragedy was brought about by the ongoing military standoff in eastern Ukraine.
The Malaysia Airlines plane with 298 people on board, including 15 crew members, crashed on July 17 near the town of Torez in Ukraine’s Donetsk region.
Ukrainian government and militia have been trading blame for the alleged downing of the airliner ever since reports suggested foul play, with independence supporters saying they have no required technology to shoot a target at altitude of 10 kilometers (6.2 miles).
The Russian Defense Ministry said Ukraine’s military had deployed a number of Buk missile systems in the area as part of its "anti-terrorist" operation, with at least 27 launchers capable of bringing down high-flying planes stationed in the Donetsk region at the time of the Boeing crash.
