Zimbabwe has accused Britain of using its influence to "poison" the rest of the European Union against the southern African country and has rejected EU criticism of its human rights record.
Speaking after a day of talks in Brussels overshadowed by the possibility of EU economic sanctions, Zimbabwean Foreign Minister Mr Stan Mudenge accused the wealthy 15-nation bloc of siding with member state Britain, which he blamed for his country's economic woes and growing international isolation.
Mr Mudenge's charge prompted the Spanish ambassador to respond: "We are not British puppets."
The talks came one day after the Zimbabwean parliament adopted laws aimed at tightening Mr Mugabe's iron grip on power.
In a sign of Harare's growing isolation, Australia and New Zealand called for Zimbabwe's suspension from the 54-nation Commonwealth after parliament pushed through the laws.
South Africa also broke a two-day silence about developments in its northern neighbour, saying it was "unacceptable" for the Zimbabwean army to signal it would only accept a victory by Mr Mugabe, 77, in the election.
South Africa's President Mr Thabo Mbeki said in a separate comment "wrong things are happening in our neighbourhood" when asked by reporters about developments this week in Zimbabwe.
Following Friday's talks Zimbabwe said it would accept international observers for the March presidential election, but strictly on its own terms.
The EU said in a statement that Zimbabwe had gone "some way" towards answering its concerns over the election and independent media coverage, but expressed doubts whether Mr Mugabe's government would follow words with "concrete actions".