Herman Van Rompuy

European Union leaders agreed Oct. 24 what they hailed as the world's most ambitious climate change targets for 2030, paving the way for a new UN-backed global treaty next year.
      
The 28 leaders overcame deep divisions at a summit in Brussels to reach a deal including a commitment to cut greenhouse gas emissions by at least 40 percent compared to 1990 levels.
      

Region, Turkey optimistic about new EU leaders

Fresh sanctions targeting key sectors of Russia's economy are to be introduced on Friday, with the EU adding it could lift them in case of a continuous deescalation in Ukraine.

New measures will see the current blacklist expanded by 24 more Russian officials and rebel leaders, who will be imposed visa bans and asset freezes.

EU Council President Herman van Rompuy has announced the bloc put off for "a few days" the enforcement of new measures against Russia.

He tied the sanctions to the situation in Ukraine's Donbass region, where pro-Russian rebels signed last week a truce agreement with the government in Kiev.

EU approves new sanctions - but delays them

BRUSSELS -- Member states of the European Union have formally approved new sanctions Russia, but will delay their application.

This will be done in order to "give Moscow time to continue its peace efforts."

The European Union is to introduce a new round of sanctions against Russia.

Her comments come after European sources told Interfax agency the bloc was determined to go with the measures against Russia.

Sanctions will be in force from Tursday depend on the situation in Ukraine and will therefore be "reversible", the BBC quotes the official as saying.

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has announced Moscow could restrict the movement of foreign flights in its airspace if new sector sanctions are introduced against the country.

"If there are sanctions related to energy [or] further restrictions to our financial sector, we have to respond asymmetrically," Russian agency ITAR-TASS quoted Medvedev as saying.

Turkey has welcomed the European Union’s new leadership team, voicing support for Polish Premier Donald Tusk as the next EU president and Italian Foreign Minister Federica Mogherini as the new head of the EU’s diplomatic service. Both Tusk and Mogherini are citizens of countries that support Turkey’s EU membership bid.

By Hugo Dixon

The EU has threatened to expand sanctions against Russia in a week unless it takes steps to alleviate tension in Ukraine.

The EU leaders have issued a joint statement demanding that Russia "immediately withdraw all its military assets and forces from Ukraine."