Pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine

All state-owned companies in Ukraine's Donbass region have been de facto nationalized, rebels say.

Alexander Zakharchenko, head of self-proclaimed "Donetsk People's Republic', has said in a press statement that in case of entities with "state participation" the rebel authorities are intending to "step in" as " business partners".

The latest push for peace in Ukraine appeared moribund on Dec. 25 after initial talks failed to agree when the warring sides should meet again to try ending their eight-month conflict.
       

KIEV - As holder of the OSCE Chairmanship-in-Office next year, Serbia will do all to help de-escalate the conflict in Ukraine, Serbian Minister of Foreign Affairs Ivica Dacic, who is on a visit to Ukraine in his capacity as future OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, said Tuesday.

FM in Kiev: Serbia will be impartial OSCE chair

KIEV -- Serbia will do everything as the chair country of the OSCE to assist and contribute to the deescalation of the conflict in Ukraine, said Serbian FM Ivica Dacic.

As many as 90 Russian trucks have delivered loads of humanitarian aid to the Donbass region in Eastern Ukraine.

The convoy has transported there medicaments, construction and New Year presents.

Deliveries have a total weight of 1.4 tons. Some reports say the amount is higher and even put the number of trucks at up to 170.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said on Dec. 20 new Western sanctions against Ukraine's Crimea region were a "collective punishment" on residents who voted last March to join Russia, adding it was preparing to retaliate. 

Russia does not need helicopter carriers of the Mistral type, because it doesn't seem very likely to land any troops, said the first deputy chief of the Marine College with the Russian government Segey Shishkaryov.

NATO warned about "wrongly assessing" Russian policy

MOSCOW -- Russia "does not want Ukraine to be split up," NATO intelligence officials say, according to the Russian media outlet RT.

They "warned their colleagues against wrongly assessing Moscow's policy on the crisis in eastern Ukraine."

The OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM) announced in one of its regular reports that a ceasefire had been agreed between representatives of Ukraine's armed forces and the self-proclaimed Lugansk People's Republic.

Ukraine and pro-Russian rebels have “agreed in principle” on a ceasefire in the eastern war-torn region of Lugansk, the OSCE has said, as NATO foreign ministers met in Brussels Dec. 2 aiming to plot a new course on the country.