The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has said that it will deploy Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) reconnaissance planes in Poland and Romania to monitor the spiraling crisis in Ukraine. A NATO spokesman said the alliance gave the go-ahead on Monday for the reconnaissance flights following a recommendation from US Air Force General Philip Breedlove, who is NATO’s Supreme... 

Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Vitaly Churkin has called on the UN Security Council to launch an investigation into all events that led to the “forcible change of power” in Ukraine. Speaking in a news program on the Russian television on Saturday, Churkin said it is necessary to thoroughly probe the recent developments in Ukraine, including the use of snipers. “All events … must... 

Did somebody say de-escalation? Earlier today, photos were distributed showing the latest military convoy reinforcements heading into the Crimea, accompanies by a Police car demonstrating Moscow license plate numbers, most likely providing further support to the pro-Russian forces in the peninsula. Supposedly the trucks are carrying troops to reinforces the members of the new Crimean army, pictured... 

Russia has defended a decision by Ukraine’s Crimean authorities to hold a referendum as the standoff between Moscow and the West over the crisis-hit Eastern European country continues. Speaking by telephone to German Chancellor Angela Merkel and British Prime Minister David Cameron on Sunday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said steps taken by authorities in Crimea were “based on international... 

F-16 jets from the US Air Force fly at the Krzesiny airport near Poznan, western Poland. The United States has beefed up its military presence in Europe amid tensions in the region over the current crisis in Ukraine. Twelve F-16 fighter jets and 300 American troops are set to arrive in Poland next week in response to the crisis in Ukraine. Six F-15C Eagles and more than 60 American had also arrived... 

A participant in a rally in support of Ukraine’s integration with the EU, on Kiev’s Independence Square. The self-proclaimed government in Kiev is reportedly planning to cut pensions by 50 percent as part of unprecedented austerity measures to save Ukraine from default. With an “empty treasury”, reduction of payments might take place in March. According to the draft document obtained... 

Participants in the “We Are Together” rally and concert to support the residents of the Crimea, at Vasilyevsky Slope, Moscow on March 7, 2014. Over 65,000 people gathered on Friday for a demonstration in central Moscow to support residents of Ukraine’s Autonomous Republic of Crimea. The mostly Russian-speaking region has become a major stumbling block in Moscow-Kiev relations. The ‘We... 

EU leaders have threatened Russia with sanctions, which could include visa bans, asset freezes and various economic restrictions unless it engages in direct talks with the coup-appointed Ukrainian government. As a first step, the EU has halted G8 summit preparations and visa-free talks with Russia. The European Council President, Herman Van Rompuy, on Thursday warned that if Moscow does not manage... 

Turkey has given a US Navy Warship the green light to pass through the Bosphorus within the next two days as tensions in Ukraine’s Crimea region continue to divide world powers. Turkish sources, speaking with the Hurriyet Daily News on Wednesday, declined to elaborate on the name of the US warship. The same officials told the daily on condition of anonymity that the ship in question was not the... 

The snipers who shot at protesters and police in Kiev were allegedly hired by Maidan leaders, according to a leaked phone conversation between the EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton and Estonian foreign affairs minister, which has emerged online. “There is now stronger and stronger understanding that behind the snipers, it was not Yanukovich, but it was somebody from the new coalition,”... 

Despite the fact that the weakening of the ruble has been predicted since late 2013, the rapid devaluation of the Russian currency is now associated with political instability in Ukraine. Pravda.Ru asked experts whether the Ukrainian revolution and instability adversely affected the ruble and whether we should fear further deterioration of the situation in Ukraine. Since the beginning of the year... 

Combo made of file pictures shows businessman Igor Kolomoisky (left) and Serhiy Taruta, Ukrainian businessman. The self-proclaimed government in Kiev has appointed two of Ukraine’s richest men to govern large industrial regions in the defiant east. One of the reasons for the Maidan protest was the influence the rich have on politics in the country. The appointments of new governors of Donetsk and... 

A Russian official says potential sanctions by Washington against Moscow would lead to the “crash” of the US financial system and end its global financial domination. Kremlin economic aide Sergei Glazyev said on Tuesday that Russia will reduce its economic dependency on the United States if Washington decides to impose sanctions against Moscow over the issue of Ukraine. “We would find a way... 

Russian-controlled natural gas giant Gazprom has threatened to disrupt gas supplies to Europe following warnings by John Kerry and others that harsh economic sanctions could be imposed on Moscow, as the Ukraine crisis threatens to spiral into a trade war. “Simmering political tensions in Ukraine, that are aggravated by inadequate economic conditions, may cause disruptions of gas supplies to Europe,”... 

The US has suspended forthcoming trade and investment talks with Russia over situation in Ukraine, according to a US official. In addition, the Pentagon announced that the US has also suspended all joint “military engagements” with Russia. “We have suspended upcoming bilateral trade and investment engagement with the government of Russia that were part of a move toward deeper commercial...