Japan and the EU have agreed to tighten sanctions on Russia if the situation in Ukraine worsens.

Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe met with EU President Herman Van Rompuy in Brussels ahead of a G7 meeting.

Abe and Van Rompuy expressed backing for Ukraine and welcomed its presidential election.

They agreed Russia’s annexation of Crimea and interference in eastern Ukraine were unacceptable.

Abe and Van Rompuy said if things got worse they would consider further sanctions against Russia.

They also said they would consider including a warning against Chinese actions in the South China Sea in a G7 statement.