European Union nations will decide on new sanctions against Moscow by Friday, with Russian aggression towards Ukraine requiring the strongest possible response, incoming EU Foreign Affairs Chief Federica Mogherini said.

Mogherini, currently the Italian foreign minister, said Russia could no longer be considered a "strategic partner" for the west and urged NATO to reassure eastern European nations that they would be protected from attack.

Mogherini, who assumes her role as EU foreign policy chief in November, said the fact that there had been peace talks in Belarus involving Russia and Ukraine this week was a "little light in a time of complete darkness".

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