At least two civilians have been killed and three others wounded in renewed shelling in Ukraine’s restive east, despite a truce between the Kiev government forces and pro-Russians. Officials in eastern city of Donetsk said the deadly shell fire hit a residential neighborhood north of the city on Wednesday. According to the Donetsk city council, the two civilians were killed near a market located... 

A total of 1,300 troops from 15 nations, either active NATO members or would-be members, have come together for a military exercise in western Ukraine – even as the fragile truce in the east of the country barely holds. The exercise, code-named “Rapid Trident” has been an annual event since 2006, and has been organized by the Germany-based US European Command (EUCOM). It was initially planned... 

At least 10 people have been killed during fresh clashes in war-torn eastern Ukraine over the last 48-hours. According to Donetsk city officials, four people were killed on Monday when a car repair shop was hit by an artillery shell and six civilians were killed in separate shelling incidents on Sunday. The officials also said that 15 people were wounded by artillery shell shrapnel. According to reports,... 

Ukrainian Defense Minister Valery Heletey (C) walks with troopers at a temporary base near the eastern city of Slavyansk. Ukrainian Defense Minister Valeriy Heletey has said NATO member states have begun supplying weapons to the country’s forces, despite a truce between Ukrainian troops and pro-Russians. Heletey made the announcement during an interview with Ukrainian broadcaster Fifth Channel, saying... 

The guided-missile destroyer USS Ross. Ukrainian and American naval forces are taking part in joint maritime drills dubbed Sea Breeze 2014, which began on Monday in the northwestern part of the Black Sea and will last till September 10. “Today in the north-west part of the Black Sea, we are beginning the joint Navy exercises of Ukraine and the US, known as ‘Sea Breeze 2014’. The exercises will... 

Colleague lays flowers in memory of photo journalist Andrey Stenin killed in southeastern Ukraine, at the Rossiya Segodnya building. Russian journalist Andrey Stenin, missing in eastern Ukraine for a month, has been confirmed dead, RIA Novosti, the news agency where he worked, reports. He was in a vehicle traveling in a convoy of escaping civilians when it came under heavy fire. Stenin apparently died... 

Russian consumer watchdog Rospotrebnadzor has suspended all confectionery imports from Ukraine after discovering two Ukrainian companies broke consumer protection laws. “In order to ensure the rights of consumers, starting September 5 Rospotrebnadzor is suspending the import of confectionery goods produced in Ukraine to the Russian Federation,” the watchdog said in a statement on Friday. The... 

A new rapid reaction force, likely numbering at least 4,000 and ready to be deployed within 48 hours, will be created in Eastern Europe, after a decision by the 28 NATO member states following a conference in Wales. “This is a demonstration of our solidarity and resolve,” said NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen as the summit, largely dedicated to Ukraine, and attended by the country’s... 

Pro-Russians have accused Ukrainian government forces of breaking the ceasefire deal just hours after it went into effect, pledging to pursue their independence drive in the east. A leading member of the parliament established by the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic said on Saturday that Ukrainian units had launched several missiles toward the pro-Russian militants’ positions in the... 

Marine Le Pen, the leader of France’s far-right National Front party, says the EU is to blame for the crisis in Ukraine as it forced the situation where Kiev had to choose between East and West. Now that France is joining sanctions against Russia over the alleged direct interference in the political crisis in Ukraine and Paris is considering suspending the €1.2 billion deal of two Mistral helicopter... 

Herbert E. Meyer, a nutcase who was a special assistant to the CIA director for a period during the Reagan administration, has penned an article calling for Russian President Putin’s assassination. If we have “ to get him out of the Kremlin feet-first with a bullet hole in the back of his head, that would be okay with us.” http://www.americanthinker.com/2014/08/how_to_solve_the_putin_problem.html As... 

Presidents Putin and Poroshenko have agreed on a permanent ceasefire in the Donbass area of east Ukraine, the Ukrainian leader’s press office reports following a phone conversation between the two. “The phone call resulted in an agreement on a permanent ceasefire in Donbass. An understanding has been reached on the steps to be taken to end the hostilities,” a corresponding message from Poroshenko’s... 

Ukraine’s bid for closer ties with the west could come at a cost. With the IMF set to loan the country $17 billion, the deal could also see GMO crops grown in some of the most fertile lands on the continent, warns Frederic Mousseau. Very few, not least the Ukrainian population are aware of these details, but according to Mousseau, who is a Policy Director at The Oakland Institute, in return for... 

Ukraine’s Cabinet has asked the country’s parliament to consider dropping the country’s non-aligned status and seek membership of NATO. Prime Minister Arseny Yatsenyuk’s government submitted to the parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, a draft bill that would cancel Ukraine’s non-aligned status and revive the country’s quest to join NATO, a path ditched by ousted President Viktor Yanukovich... 

Moscow has responded to accusations of a Russian invasion of Ukraine, saying there is no proof to support the allegations. “No facts about a Russian military presence on Ukrainian territory have ever been presented. There have been reports about satellite imagery exposing Russian troops’ movements, however they turned out to be images from video games. The latest accusations happen to be much...