Robin Emmott, John Chalmers

BRUSSELS, (Reuters) -Ministers from the European Union said Tuesday that they will agree to implement tougher but more incremental sanctions on Russia in response to its recognition of two separatist regions of eastern Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin made his announcement Monday. He then signed a decree regarding the deployment of Russian troops in Donetsk.

Although the EU stated repeatedly that it would impose massive sanctions on Russia’s economic if Moscow invades Ukraine, it has cautioned that due to its close energy and commerce ties to Russia it might need to escalate sanctions slowly.

Thomas Byrne, Irish EU Affairs Minister said that Russia must feel the pain regardless of what happens. “We have to ensure Russia feels it… so Russia doesn’t have any incentive to move further.”

Ambassadors from EU members met this morning in order to create sanctions before an emergency gathering of foreign ministers in Paris later that day.

Josep Borrell, EU’s chief of foreign policy, stated in Paris that “this afternoon the Council will determine the sanctions we are going to adopt.”

The 27 members of the bloc may not have the same relationship to Russia and dependence on Russia’s gas. This could make it difficult for the bloc to adopt sanctions.

Officials from EU and diplomats stated that certain EU countries including Austria and Hungary would prefer less restrictive sanctions as a response to Putin’s action on the eastern Ukraine.

Other people want to see the fuller and tougher list of actions discussed recently in order to prevent a Russian invasion. As Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine is ongoing, the Baltic and central European countries insist that tough sanctions be immediately imposed.

The Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi said that Russia is the main source of much of Italy’s gas and suggested at a press conference in Rome that no sanctions would be applied to imports.

“How we react as European Union will define our character and indeed the future of Europe,” Lithuanian vice minister of foreign affairs Arnoldas Pranckevičius said at a meeting in Brussels.

These sanctions should not be used as a symbolic gesture. To deter President Putin’s further actions, and to end the conflict, it is necessary to take concrete steps.

According to an EU official, the bloc was set to discuss on Tuesday more than just travel bans and asset freezing on individuals.

Reuters was told by a senior EU diplomat that there is a “whole escalation ladder”, starting with Russian people and progressing to trade and finance and finally energy. Technically, there is a lot to be done.

According to the diplomat, “The issue politically is how we craft sanctions that everyone can agree to,” he said under condition of anonymity because discussions were still ongoing.

According to diplomats, new sanctions could be imposed on Russian oligarchs. They also ban EU transactions with Russian private banks. This would result in the removal of all Russian banks from SWIFT. SWIFT is vital for international money transfers.

Although no meeting of this nature has been held, it is likely that such sanctions will be approved at the special summit of EU leaders in Brussels.

RTE broadcaster Simon Coveney, Irish Foreign Minister said that “what’s in question today is their ability to go further.” I suspect that it will be incremental, as everyone wants diplomacy in order to lower tension.