Chancellor Angela Merkel on Monday tried to dissuade President Barack Obama from arming Ukraine in its conflict against Russian-backed separatists. The German head of government is visiting the White House following last week's top-level diplomatic efforts, in which she and French President François Hollande tried to mediate between Kiev and Moscow.
Vladimir Putin may plan to meddle in the Baltic states to "restore Russia to its former position as a great power," former NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen has warned.
French President François Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel joined forces on Thursday in an attempt to help halt the hostilities in eastern Ukraine.
Ukrainian forces intensified their attacks on pro-Russian rebels in the east of the country on Wednesday and hit a section of Donetsk, the capital of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic, that had previously been considered safe.
The United States and its European allies are putting tighter sanctions against Russia back on the table after attacks by Moscow-backed rebels effectively ended a fragile, five-month truce in eastern Ukraine.
Pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine affirmed on Monday that they were in control of the Donetsk airport. The city of nearly a million inhabitants serves as the capital of the self-declared Donetsk People's Republic, and the airfield - though largely destroyed in earlier clashes - is of significant strategic and symbolic value.
Eleven people in Ukraine died as a bus was attacked Ukrainian, authorities said. Separatists have denied responsibility for the attacks. At the same time, the battle between separatist and government forces became even more deadly around Donetsk, which is home to an international airport.
Ukraine reports it had an incident with one of its nuclear power plants. Though the issue posed no threats to the populace, the shutting down of one its reactors has worsened Ukraine's energy crisis.
U.S. recognition of Russia's takeover of Crimea is not a question of time, Vice President Joe Biden assured Ukrainian leaders on Friday. "The United States will never recognize (the) annexation, and (Biden) warned Moscow that it faces greater isolation if it continues its 'provocative action,'" the Los Angeles Times said.
Nearly 1,000 people have been killed in Ukraine since a September ceasefire agreement between the government in Kiev and separatists in the east of the country, the U.N. Human Rights Office revealed in a report.
The U.S. government dismisses the new Russian report that a Ukraine fighter jet shot down the Boeing 777 flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur on July 17.
Wayne Rooney celebrated his 100th cap with the national team scoring in England's 3-1 victory over Slovenia. Also, Spain rolls on in the Euro 2016 qualifiers while Russia is upset by Austria and Sweden's Zlatan Ibrahimovic returns to action, coming back from a heel injury.
Ukraine announced Wednesday its redeploying of troops to the east because of growing fear that separatists in that area of the country will launch another offensive. Russia has repeatedly denied that it has sent in reinforcement troops for the rebels.
Russia has been accused of sending 32 tanks as well as various soldiers, trucks and weapons into the separatist region of Luhansk, in spite of the fragile Minsk ceasefire.
Merkel calls the elections ‘illegal' German Chancellor Angela Merkel again spoke out against elections in Ukraine's eastern region, which is controlled by separatists, calling them "illegal".
An election in the separatist regions of Ukraine may shatter a fragile ceasefire between the rebel forces and Kiev. Backed by Russia, the separatist rebels held elections in the regions of Donetsk and Luhansk, but no country other than Russia recognized the election results.
Pro-Russian rebel areas in Ukraine hold elections to create local governing body A controversial election began in eastern Ukraine by pro-Russian rebels, and Western powers are urging Russian President Vladimir Putin not to recognize the process.
