EU summit with Russia's Putin reduced to short meeting following differences over Ukraine

BRUSSELS – A long-planned summit between Russia's president and the European Union leadership has been reduced to a short meeting in the wake of their confrontation over Ukraine's future.

EU spokeswoman Maja Kocijancic said Thursday the meeting between Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso and Russia's Vladimir Putin and others will take place in Brussels Jan. 28 and will last 2 1/2-hours

The summit was initially meant to start with a dinner a day earlier and last until the next afternoon.

Kocijancic said the format has been changed "in light of the recent developments," to have an "in-depth reflection" about the EU-Russia relationship.

Russia late last year lured Ukraine with financial incentives to snub the 28-nation bloc and seek closer cooperation with Moscow instead. The decision led to massive public protests in Ukraine.