Ukraine security council calls for state of emergency

KYIV: Ukraine's national security council on Wednesday called for the declaration of a state of emergency across the entire country except for the eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk controlled by Russian-backed separatists, where a state of emergency has been in place since 2014.

A state of emergency would initially last 30 days and increase document and vehicle checks, among other measures. The council's recommendation requires parliamentary approval before going into effect.

Earlier Wednesday, Kyiv urged Western nations to impose more sanctions on Russia following a sweeping round of restrictions from the EU, US and other Western nations targeting the economy and Russian President Vladimir Putin's inner circle.