ROME, March 4 (Reuters) - Ukrainian opposition politician Yulia Tymoshenko called on Western powers to impose sanctions on Russia after Moscow said on Tuesday that sending troops into its neighbour was a possibility.
"Diplomatic efforts are not enough; I think what must be done is to impose economic sanctions on Russia. Especially if there is a further escalation of violence," Tymoshenko said in an interview with SkyTG24, according to their Italian translation.
Tymoshenko, twice Ukrainian prime minister, said Russia had violated a 1994 accord guaranteeing Ukraine's security and called on the United Nations and world leaders to broker talks between Moscow and Kiev.
"I believe that the negotiations cannot be carried out by Ukrainians and Russians, after the military aggression that we have suffered. There can be no direct dialogue at this time."
The ousting of Ukraine's Russian-backed president, Viktor Yanukovich, after months of street protests, and Moscow's subsequent seizure of the Crimea region have prompted the most serious confrontation between Moscow and the West since the end of the Cold War.
(Reporting by Naomi O'Leary; Editing by Kevin Liffey)
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