Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered Russian troops to withdraw to their permanent bases after military exercises in Rostov region near the border with Ukraine, the Kremlin said, in a sign of some tension easing before a key meeting next week.

• Date: 12.10.2014  |  Published on EGF: 12.10.2014  |  External Relations  |  from http://www.reuters.com/

Statements by NATO's new chief do not raise hopes of a rapid improvement in relations between Russia and the military alliance, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said on Thursday.

• Date: 09.10.2014  |  Published on EGF: 09.10.2014  |  External Relations  |  from http://www.reuters.com/

Islamic State raised its flag on a building on the outskirts of the Syrian frontier town of Kobani on Monday after an assault of almost three weeks, but the town's Kurdish defenders said its fighters had not reached the city centre.

• Date: 06.10.2014  |  Published on EGF: 06.10.2014  |  External Relations  |  from http://www.reuters.com/

Russia said on Friday the mortar fire that killed a Swiss worker from the International Committee of the Red Cross in Donetsk in eastern Ukraine was fired from territory controlled by Ukrainian government forces.

• Date: 03.10.2014  |  Published on EGF: 03.10.2014  |  External Relations  |  from http://www.reuters.com/

Ukraine accused Russian forces on Friday of helping separatists step up pressure on government troops holding the main airport in the eastern city of Donetsk, threatening a fragile ceasefire.

• Date: 03.10.2014  |  Published on EGF: 03.10.2014  |  Security  |  from http://www.reuters.com/

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Friday it was essential that both Ukrainian forces and pro-Russian separatists fully observed a ceasefire in eastern Ukraine clinched nearly a month ago.

• Date: 03.10.2014  |  Published on EGF: 03.10.2014  |  External Relations  |  from http://www.reuters.com/

Turkey signalled it may send troops into Syria or Iraq and let allies use Turkish bases to fight Islamic State, as coalition jets launched air strikes on Wednesday on insurgents besieging a town on its southern border with Syria.

• Date: 01.10.2014  |  Published on EGF: 01.10.2014  |  Security  |  from http://www.reuters.com/

NATO's new leader offered an olive branch to Russia on Wednesday, saying he saw no contradiction between a strong alliance and building a constructive relationship with Moscow.

• Date: 01.10.2014  |  Published on EGF: 01.10.2014  |  External Relations  |  from http://www.reuters.com/