Music to Putin's ears. https://t.co/EqqSktJA06
— Michael Weiss (@michaeldweiss) September 2, 2014
Former Senators Lott, Breaux hired to lobby for Gazprombank in Washington. #Russia #Ukraine http://t.co/lDdyG0z1GD via @PublicI
— Isaac Webb (@isaacdwebb) September 2, 2014
When Obama comes to Estonia, Putin goes to Mongolia: http://t.co/NasxIzwdf4
— Nikolaus von Twickel (@niktwick) September 2, 2014
Russia says it may release the 'Kiev in two weeks' transcript http://t.co/vieZTgnR4m
— Daniel Sandford (@BBCDanielS) September 2, 2014
Extraordinary story of 80 dead Russian soldiers in Ukraine (now deleted, but preserved) (RUS) http://t.co/j0aucnrbHA h/t @olliecarroll
— Daniel Sandford (@BBCDanielS) September 2, 2014
@bbcdaniels @russiaeye Relatives have been told not to speak out, according to Shlossberg. Or they will lose benefits.
— Oliver Carroll (@olliecarroll) September 2, 2014
Here's an energy-related update from our news desk:
Ukraine has begun receiving natural gas from the European Union via Slovakia to help ease problems Kyiv has with its main supplier Russia.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk and his Slovak counterpart, Robert Fico, attended a switching-on ceremony at a pipeline linking Slovakia's Vojany and the neighboring western Ukrainian town of Uzhhorod.
Yatsenyuk said that thanks to the reverse-flow gas and offer of supplies coming from the EU, Ukraine will be able to replace 40 percent of the gas it usually receives from Russia.
Fico said the Vojany-Uzhhorod pipeline "will improve Ukraine's energy security."
The deal for Ukraine to receive "reverse-flow" gas from Slovakia was brokered by Brussels to reduce Kyiv's dependence on Gazprom.
The Russian state-controlled gas giant announced huge price hikes for Ukraine after pro-Moscow Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych was ousted early this year.
(AFP, Interfax)
From our news desk:
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) says Ukraine will need a bigger bailout loan if fighting with pro-Russian separatists in the eastern part of the country continues into 2015.
In a report released on September 2, the IMF said risks such as the fighting and Kyiv's natural gas dispute with Russia "loom large" for the country's economy.
Ukraine was given a $17 billion loan bailout by the IMF in March.
If fighting does continue into next year, the IMF said Ukraine may need as much as $19 billion in additional financing.
It said the eastern regions where the clashes are occurring produces about 16 percent of Ukraine's gross domestic production.
The IMF said the Ukrainian economy is expected to contract by some 6.5 percent this year. (AP and Reuters)