BRUSSELS - European Union governments agreed on Monday to extend sanctions against Syria to 18 more individuals associated with its crackdown on protest, but signalled that Western military action against the government was unlikely for now.

EU foreign ministers, meeting in Brussels, sought to increase economic pressure on Bashar al-Assad by approving plans to stop Syria accessing funds from EU's European Investment Bank.

EU leaders warned last month that Syria could face new sanctions if there was no halt to the violence, in which the United Nations says more than 3,500 protesters have died.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague said there was a good case for further extending EU measures, which from Tuesday will affect 74 individuals and 19 firms and entities.

Eighteen officials were added to the EU's list of people affected by a travel ban and asset freeze on Monday; their names will be made public on Tuesday.

Syria's Foreign Minister Walid Muallem said on Monday that Damascus will not budge despite its suspension from the Arab League, which he warned was a "dangerous step".

Muallem's comments come after the Arab League announced a fresh meeting on Syria and as global pressure, including a threat of new sanctions, intensified on President Bashar al-Assad's rule over the violence in the Middle East country.

"The decision of the Arab League to suspend Syria ... represents a dangerous step," Muallem told a packed news conference in Damascus.

On Monday, China urged Syria to implement an Arab League peace plan to end the violence.

"What is pressing now is to implement the Arab League's initiative appropriately and earnestly," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin said at a regular news briefing.

"China once again urges the Syrian government and all relevant parties to cease violence, launch an inclusive and balanced political process and make unremitting efforts to realize the Arab League's initiative."

Russia opposes the Arab League's decision to suspend Syria and believes Western nations are inciting opponents of President Bashar al-Assad to seek his removal, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was quoted as saying on Monday.

His remarks underscored the Kremlin's disagreements with the West and other nations on how to end months of violence in Syria.

Previously, at a meeting of the League's foreign ministers in Cairo on Saturday, 18 of the 22 members voted to suspend Syria from Nov 16 over its failure to comply with an agreement to end its crackdown on protests.