Merkel Said to Ready Summit for Full Sanctions on Russia

German Chancellor Angela Merkel told members of her party yesterday that Russia faces full economic sanctions unless it takes verifiable steps to calm the crisis in Ukraine by Friday, two people present at the meeting said.

Merkel, addressing senior members of her Christian Democratic Union in Berlin last night, said that implementation of so-called stage three sanctions is on the agenda for a June 26-27 meeting of European Union leaders unless there is evidence of substantial progress in eastern Ukraine, according to the people, who asked not to be named because the meeting was private. Merkel didn’t say what the sanctions might entail.