Protesters have flocked to the Russian embassy in Berlin to decry Russian President Vladimir Putin’s order to deploy troops to separatist regions of eastern Ukraine.

People were waving yellow-blue Ukrainian flags and chanting “We stand united with Ukraine!” as they assembled in front of the building near the German capital’s landmark Brandenburg Gate on Tuesday evening.

'Say No to Putin'

Some held up banners saying “Ukraine will resist,” “Say no to Putin” or “Implement sanctions immediately,” while others wrapped themselves into huge Ukrainian flags.

“I’m here to protest against Russia invading our independent Ukrainian territory,” said Victoria Baron, 27, who moved from Odesa in Ukraine last summer to work for a data science company in Berlin.

“It’s very important that we support our people even though we’re abroad,” she said adding that she talked to her family back home almost every day and spends hours on social media following the latest developments.

Baron was very worried about the future of Ukraine and said that she thought “that right now everything is possible” including Russian troops heading into mainland Ukraine.

Meanwhile, the Russian Foreign Ministry said that it has decided to evacuate Russian diplomatic personnel from Ukraine, pointing at threats.

The ministry said Tuesday that Russian diplomats in Ukraine have received multiple threats, adding that they will be evacuated “in the nearest time.” It did not elaborate.

The move follows Russia’s recognition of Ukraine’s rebel regions and the Russian parliament’s vote to grant President Vladimir Putin a permission to use military force in Ukraine.

The Ukrainian capital of Kyiv is only a three hour drive from the border of Belarus, where Russia has stationed troops for earlier war games.

The EU Stands With Ukraine

French foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian says the European Union's 27 members have unanimously agreed on an initial set of sanctions targeting Russian officials involved in Ukraine.

EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell said Tuesday this first package of sanctions “will hurt Russia and it will hurt a lot.”

He said the sanctions would affect members of Russia’s duma who voted against the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine as well as another 27 people and “entities" which are often companies, banks or agencies.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said sanctions will directly target individuals and companies, as well as banks financing “the Russian military apparatus” and contributing to the destabilization of Ukraine.

In addition, von der Leyen said the EU will limit the Russian government’s ability to raise capital on the bloc’s financial markets.

“We will make it as difficult as possible for the Kremlin to pursue its aggressive actions,” she said.

Germany Braces for Cyberattacks

Germany’s top security official says authorities are preparing for possible cyberattacks in response to the crisis with Russia.

The Interior Ministry said Tuesday that security agencies have taken protective measures to avert such attacks and Germany’s national cyber defense center is monitoring developments.

Interior Minister Nancy Faser said on Twitter that authorities “are prepared for all conceivable impacts of this conflict."

Romanian President Klaus Iohannis said Tuesday after a phone call with his Polish counterpart that they have agreed to hold an “extraordinary summit” Friday in Warsaw between the Bucharest Nine members to “coordinate our response and demonstrate our unity” amid Russia's moves against Ukraine.

“Today I discussed with the President of Poland, Andrzej Duda, the serious security situation in the Black Sea region, following Russian actions, which flagrantly violates international law,” Iohannis wrote online. “We stand with Ukraine!”

The Bucharest Nine, which Romania and Poland launched in 2015, is a group comprised of NATO’s easternmost members and also includes Hungary, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.

Baltic States

Defense ministers from the Baltic states urged world leaders to move swiftly and impose harsh sanctions on Russia, saying their countries know firsthand the dangers of trying to appease a bully.

The Baltic countries’ position on NATO’s eastern flank was at the forefront of discussions Tuesday as defense ministers from the Joint Expeditionary Force met in central England. The U.K.-led force is a group of 10 nations designed to react more quickly in the event of threats like those now posed by Russia.

Latvian Defense Minister Artis Pabriks said in an interview with the Associated Press that world leaders must act swiftly to impose punishing sanctions or it will be too late to stand up for freedom and democracy.

He said failure to stop the Russian president's “aggression" now would send the message that Moscow can “play around with the Europeans" and the U.S.

Sanctions a Mere 'Paper Cut'

Sanctions experts say Western measures against Russia will have to go much further to have a chance of deterring President Vladimir Putin from further military intervention in Ukraine.

Tyler Kustra, a University of Nottingham politics professor, said sanctions announced Tuesday by Britain on five Russian banks and three wealthy individuals were “a paper cut.”

He said “the U.K. could be doing a lot more. There are certainly far more oil oligarchs in London that could be sanctioned. They could have their assets frozen, they could be kicked out of the country.”

Thomas Mayne, a corruption expert and visiting fellow at the Chatham House think-tank, also said Britain’s status as a hub for no-questions-asked Russian money was a major problem.

“For at least 20 years, we’ve been welcoming Russian money,” he said. “We’ve been allowing people with very dubious sources of wealth to gain Tier 1 investor visas in the U.K., to buy property, to list their companies on the London Stock Exchange, far more so than American stock exchanges. And we’ve created a situation where now we’re wondering whether that was such a good idea.”

He said Germany’s decision to halt Nord Stream 2 pipeline was “a welcome step" because part of the reason it was built was to cut Ukraine off from gas transit fees that Russia had to pay.