BERLIN (Reuters) - Slovakian Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajcak told a German newspaper on Wednesday it was too early for a debate about extending sanctions on Russia after it seized three Ukrainian ships near Crimea on Sunday, prompting fears of an escalation.

“Before we take measures, the facts must be cleared up,” Lajcak told Die Welt in an interview. “Sanctions should always be the last, not the first option,” he added.