The brutal fighting in Ukraine dramatically increased in intensity as the deadline for a ceasefire agreed upon in Minsk, Belarus draws closer.
Various heads of state gathered in Minsk, Belarus to try and reach some kind of an agreement that would halt the continuing fighting in eastern Ukraine.
The United States and Europe seem to have major disagreements about what steps should be taken next in order to help bring the crisis in eastern Ukraine to a close.
A who's who of international diplomats and leaders gathered in the Ukrainian capital of Kiev as fighting in the east of the country continued to increase in intensity.
As pro-Russian separatists continue to make serious gains against the Ukrainian Army in eastern Ukraine, the United States is contemplating the possibility of increasing its involvement in the conflict to include lethal aid.
The US wants to lock horns with Russia in order to implement "triumphalism", says ex-Russian President Mikhail Gorbachev.
A new round of peace talks between the Ukrainian government and pro-Russian separatists have begun even as both sides were in the midst of intense battles throughout eastern Ukraine.
Separatists rebels in eastern Ukraine have made gains against Ukrainian government forces as fighting in the region intensifies and past ceasefires have been abandoned.
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has claimed that 9,000 Russian soldiers have crossed into Ukraine to provide support to separatists who wish to breakaway from the central government in Kiev.
A group of Russians hailing from the restive region of Chechnya have been arrested in France over allegations they were attempting to plan and carry out a terror attack in France.
Thousands of Armenians have taken to the street in protest after learning that a soldier accused of murdering a family of six, including a two-year-old, will not be extradited to Armenia and instead will face justice in Russia.
Alexei Navalny, a prominent Russian blogger and politician, has removed an ankle bracelet meant to enforce his house arrest on trumped up fraud charges.
A prominent anti-government activist in Russia was given a suspended sentence of three years for charges of fraud.
Ukraine and pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine's east have swapped hundreds of prisoners as Russia names NATO's expansion as a critical threat.
Apple Inc has raised the selling price of iPhone in Russia by 35 percent. The company had to suspend the online sales after the fall in Russian ruble last week. The Russian ruble is down 57.1%.
