A first, limited, round of European Union sanctions on Russia is set to take effect by 1400 GMT on Wednesday, a senior EU diplomat said, after foreign ministers agreed in principle on Tuesday to blacklist more politicians and target bond trading. Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday recognised the separatist enclaves in the Donbass region of eastern Ukraine that adjoin Russia, deepening Western fears of a major war in Europe. EU foreign ministers chose not to sanction Putin himself but instead blacklist all members of the lower house of the Russian parliament who voted in favour of the recognition of the breakaway regions, freezing any assets they have in the EU and banning them from travelling to the bloc.
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