ATHENS, Greece — Britain’s foreign secretary on Friday urged European Union partners to develop possible further sanctions against Russia “if they become necessary,” while the top Russian diplomat ridiculed Ukraine’s government as a Western puppet.

“The West has taken on a role of the master of Ukraine’s fate while the country’s fledging government has not shown much independence so far,” Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

He blamed the crisis in Ukraine on the government’s lack of respect for the citizens’ rights and interests of different Ukrainian regions.

At the EU meeting in Athens, officials continued to worry about the large Russian military force on Ukraine’s border.