European Union foreign ministers are discussing new sanctions against Russia a day after pro-Moscow rebels killed at least nine Ukrainians in fresh clashes, reports GHN based on BBC.
EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said help to reform Ukraine would also be on the agenda.
Russia's President Vladimir Putin was criticised by Western leaders at the G20 summit in Australia. He told German TV both sides in Ukraine were to blame.
More than 4,000 people have died in the conflict in eastern Ukraine.
The latest were six soldiers and three policemen killed in separate incidents over a period of 24 hours, Ukrainian officials said.
Separatists have been fighting government forces since April in a war that has driven hundreds of thousands of people from their homes.
A ceasefire has been in place since the outlines of a deal were agreed in September, but it has been broken regularly.
EU sanctions were first imposed when Russia annexed Ukraine's region of Crimea in March.
Further measures have been added since, targeting senior Russian officials as well as the country's oil industry, defence firms and banks.
They followed allegations that Russia was sending its soldiers to fight with separatist rebels in eastern Ukraine - as well as weapons for the rebels. The Kremlin denies the allegations.