EU's Tusk discussing Russia sanctions proposal with Merkel, Hollande

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Council President Donald Tusk is discussing a proposal with the German and French leaders that would link European Union sanctions on Russia to full implementation of a Ukraine ceasefire accord, a senior EU official said on Wednesday.

Tusk is working with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande on a compromise proposal on the future of EU sanctions that Tusk believes would win the support of all 28 EU leaders at a summit on Thursday.

"The direction of that proposal will go into building very strong links between full implementation of Minsk and sanctions that are already in place being in place until full implementation of Minsk," said the official, who was briefing reporters on condition of anonymity.

He was referring to last month's Minsk ceasefire accord for eastern Ukraine.

Agreement of all EU governments is needed to renew economic sanctions on Russia that expire in July but governments are sharply divided.

More hawkish member states wanted an agreement at this week's summit to extend those sanctions now, while other governments wanted to wait until a summit scheduled for June to give the Minsk accord a chance to work.

Linking sanctions to the full implementation of Minsk would effectively be a pledge to extend sanctions at least until the end of the year, because the Minsk accord contains a year-end deadline for Ukraine to recover full control over its border.

The senior EU official said all governments were ready to agree that Merkel and Hollande, having helped negotiate the Minsk agreement, "should have a specific role in the process of defining further steps which should support implementation of Minsk".

"That is why right now Tusk is working together with Merkel and Hollande on that proposal. It will be Tusk's proposal but it is being right now discussed with Merkel and Hollande to find a common ground which then can be presented to the European Council and will be defended and recommended ... by not only Tusk but also Merkel and Hollande," the senior official said.

(Reporting by Adrian Croft; Editing by Alastair Macdonald)