European Commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso (left) warned Russian President Vladimir Putin in a phone call on Monday against taking any unilateral action in Ukraine as Russia said it had reached a deal with Kiev to send aid into rebel-held cities.
"Speaking with President Putin, President Barroso said that the EU would join in international efforts to assist people in need as a result of the conflict," a commission statement said. But it added that the bloc was opposed to any military action by Moscow "under any pretext".
Russia said on Monday it had reached an agreement with Ukraine on providing humanitarian aid to rebel-held cities in the country's east in connection with the Red Cross.
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said he supported an aid mission to the area but made clear that it would have to be an international effort under the aegis of the Red Cross and involving the European Union as well as Russia.
US President Barack Obama also backed the idea of a multilateral aid mission in a telephone call with Poroshenko on Monday. But the White House said the two leaders agreed that any Russian intervention in Ukraine without the formal consent and authorisation of Kiev "would be unacceptable and a violation of international law".
Western countries fear that Moscow might use a humanitarian aid mission as a cover for sending in the troops it has reportedly massed at the border.
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