BRUSSELS—German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas on Monday urged his EU counterparts to give the green light to sanctions against Russian officials responsible for jailing Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny and cracking down on pro-democracy activists. Berlin’s call paves the way for sanctions to be imposed next month in what the 27-member bloc says should be seen as a message to President Vladimir Putin that debate and protest must be allowed in Russia. “I am in favor of ordering the preparation of additional sanctions, of listings of specific persons,” Maas said as he arrived in Brussels. He said sanctions were pressing because Navalny had not only been sentenced to a prison term earlier this month, but also to serve this term in a labor camp. Diplomats expect the EU to impose travel bans and asset freezes on allies of Putin next month, once experts have gathered evidence to withstand any legal challenges. …