EU leaders weigh new sanctions on Russia amid 'series of attacks'

Slovenia's Prime Minister Janez Jansa, European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President Charles Michel and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy attend a meeting between leaders of EU countries and the governments of the "Eastern Partnership", a group of six neighbouring states which includes Ukraine, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova, during the European Summit at the European Council building in Brussels, Belgium December 15, 2021. Stephanie Lecocq/Pool via REUTERS

BRUSSELS (Reuters) -The European Union is under assault from Russia on multiple fronts and must unite behind new economic sanctions, Baltic and central European leaders said on Thursday, with Lithuania citing a risk of possible Russian military strikes from Belarus.

The warnings at an EU summit were some of the most direct in recent weeks as the United States and its NATO allies seek to deter any possible Russian attack on Ukraine and reduce Moscow's margin for surprise. Many NATO allies are also EU member states.