Several eastern European countries, such as Poland and the Baltic nations, seek a total break with Moscow to bring the latter to knees, The New York Times reported, citing officials.
At the same time, other countries, such as France, Germany and Turkey, believe that Russia could not be easily subdued and want to keep contacts with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Russia launched its special military operation in Ukraine on February 24 to support the people's republics of Donetsk and Lugansk and put an end to war crimes committed by Ukrainian troops against civilians during an eight-year offensive against Donbas. The Western countries have strongly condemned the Russian operation in Ukraine and slapped unprecedented sanctions on Moscow.
Although Washington claimed it is mitigating the cost of Russia sanctions for itself and its allies, it has admitted that they will have impact in some areas of economy, including gas prices.