Escalation in Syria means EU less likely to soften stance on Russia

Civil defence members inspect damage after what activists said were airstrikes carried out by the Russian air force in Khan al-Sebil, southern Idlib countryside, Syria

Outraged by Russia's intensified air strikes on rebels in Syria, the European Union is now less likely to ease sanctions on Moscow over Ukraine, diplomats say, and some in the bloc are raising the prospect of more punitive steps against the Kremlin.

While the EU says conflicts in Syria and Ukraine need to be kept separate, the latest military offensive by Damascus and its ally Moscow on rebel-held eastern Aleppo further clouds the strained ties between Moscow and the bloc.