Merkel says won't hesitate to toughen Russia sanctions if it won't help to defuse crisis in Ukraine

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she would not hesitate to impose economic sanctions on Russia if the situation in Ukraine were further destabilized, urging President Vladimir Putin to help by using his influence on pro-Russian separatists.

"It is decisive that President Putin to use his influence to get the separatists to refrain from violence and intimidation, hand over their weapons and stop the occupations," she said in a speech in parliament ahead of G7 summit. "If this doesn't happen ... we won't shrink from imposing further sanctions," Associated Pres cited Merkel as saying.

Merkel called in a speech to parliament for stiffer border controls by Russia to stop fighters or weapons crossing into Ukraine.

She stressed, however, that the punitive measures were not "ends in themselves".

"We don't want them [sanctions], we want a close partnership with Russia. But if they were to be unavoidable then we will decide them unanimously," the German chancellor stressed.