International mediator Lakhdar Brahimi scrambled to keep diplomacy alive on Wednesday, bringing forward to Thursday a meeting with senior U.S. and Russian officials backing opposing sides in Syria's war.

• Date: 12.02.2014  |  Published on EGF: 12.02.2014  |  External Relations  |  from http://www.reuters.com/

After Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Ukraine last July, U.S. diplomats got a private recap of the message he delivered behind closed doors to the country's leaders. Ukraine, Putin warned, would not be allowed to stray from Moscow's orbit.

• Date: 12.02.2014  |  Published on EGF: 12.02.2014  |  External Relations  |  from http://www.reuters.com/

An east-west struggle over Ukraine turned nastier as Moscow accused the United States of fomenting a coup and Washington pointed a finger at Russia for leaking a recording of U.S. diplomats discussing how to shape a new government in Kiev.

• Date: 07.02.2014  |  Published on EGF: 07.02.2014  |  External Relations  |  from http://www.reuters.com/

Russia signaled on Wednesday that it could toughen demands for gas payments from Ukraine if Kiev fails to fulfill existing agreements, increasing pressure on an ex-Soviet neighbor gripped by an economic and political crisis.

• Date: 06.02.2014  |  Published on EGF: 06.02.2014  |  External Relations  |  from http://www.reuters.com/

Russia said its ally Syria would soon ship more chemical weapons abroad for destruction after being accused of dragging its feet, while activists said civilians in Aleppo were fleeing deadly barrel bomb raids by President Bashar al-Assad's air force.

• Date: 04.02.2014  |  Published on EGF: 04.02.2014  |  External Relations  |  from http://www.reuters.com/

Western governments pressed Ukraine's president to compromise with protesters camped on the streets, prompting a war of words with Russia on Saturday and offering treatment to an opposition activist who says he was tortured.

• Date: 03.02.2014  |  Published on EGF: 03.02.2014  |  External Relations  |  from http://www.reuters.com/

A city in Russian-speaking eastern Ukraine built on industry and blue collar workers, Zaporizhzhya is not normally a place of revolution.

• Date: 31.01.2014  |  Published on EGF: 31.01.2014  |  External Relations  |  from http://www.reuters.com/

Russian President Vladimir Putin and the European Union's top two officials were set to hold "clear the air" talks in Brussels on Tuesday after months of growing tension over Ukraine and trade and energy disputes.

• Date: 28.01.2014  |  Published on EGF: 28.01.2014  |  External Relations  |  from http://www.reuters.com/