The European Union sought Monday to dispel any suggestion that its united front against Russia was faltering or that members were considering lifting sanctions on Moscow in the near future. Questions about how long the 28-nation bloc can stick together in responding to Russian aggressiveness toward Ukraine were highlighted last week by the emergence of an internal EU paper looking at ways to improve ties with Moscow. EU members friendlier to Russia have long questioned the effectiveness of sanctions in influencing the Kremlin. Some have suggested the damage to the Russian economy caused by falling oil prices could provide an opening for scaling back the sanctions as part of a new diplomatic outreach. But EU foreign ministers, meeting Monday, stressed they would consider relaxing sanctions only if Russia […]