Russia can work constructively to reduce tensions in Ukraine, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso has said.

"My opinion is that it is still not too late if Russia wants to work constructively. I believe it is in the interests of everybody in Europe, including Russia, to cease these kind of actions, and that we can turn back this page, and that we can in fact come to a real de-escalation of this conflict [in Ukraine]," he said at a press conference in Brussels on Tuesday.

Barroso called on Russia to implement its part of the Geneva statement, repeal the mandate of the Federation Council to use force on Ukrainian soil and "act as a responsible stakeholder of our community of nations."

"Russia by the way is a multinational country that also has problems of stability, and to support instability in a neighboring country is certainly not good for the future. It's certainly not good for Russia to have this kind of confrontation with the European Union. The EU is by far the most important economic partner of Russia. If Russia continues with this kind of behavior, it would only contribute to a further isolation of Russia in the world," he said.

Barroso declined to evaluate the actions of Russian President Vladimir Putin, noting that he would not like to assess the actions of the Russian leadership, but prefers to emphasize the importance of what awaits Russia in future.

"So my message to President Putin is that he should engage constructively. By that I mean de-escalate the situation, (and) work constructively with Ukraine, but also with the EU, because it's a matter of concern for all of us in Europe, and if Russia wants its international status recognized, it is not by this kind of behavior that it would get that recognition, on the contrary," he said.