BRUSSELS
European leaders will meet on Thursday to discuss further sanctions against Russia following its decision to annex Crimea.
While Baltic nations and Poland are proponents of stiffer sanctions against Russia, most European countries are more restrained because of their close economic ties with Russia.
According to Brussels-based think-tank, Bruegel, European Union countries receive 45% of their natural gas from Russia.
On March 17, after the Crimean referendum where nearly 97 percent voted in favor of Russian annexation, EU foreign ministers approved asset freezes and travel bans to 21 Russian and pro-Moscow Ukrainian officials.
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