EU-Russia June summit to be cancelled: Hollande

Brussels: French President Francois Hollande said Europe`s leaders would cancel a June summit with Russia and decide fresh sanctions against Russian figures as he arrived Thursday for a European Union summit.

Saying events in Ukraine and Crimea were "unacceptable", the French leader said "sanctions will be decided against a certain number of figures, regarding their personal situation or their financial assets". "There was to have been a meeting between the EU and Russia but it cannot take place in these conditions," he said, referring to a planned June summit. "We must also plan other sanctions if there is an escalation," he added. With the EU`s 28 nations divided over whether to ratchet up the bloc`s response by agreeing economic sanctions, Hollande said that "even if not decided today, economic sanctions must be discussed, prepared".