Meanwhile in Russia...
Russia's main supermarket chains are calling for a freeze on the prices of several staple foods, which have risen sharply in recent months as the economy struggles under the weight of low oil prices and Western sanctions.
According to a February 25 article in the Russian newspaper Vedomosti, the Association of Retail Companies has appealed to the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAC) to impose a two-month freeze on prices for goods such as meat, fish, milk and dairy products, sugar, salt, cooking oil, and vegetables.
A freeze would bring back memories of the Soviet era, when the communist government set prices.
The retail association includes companies Magnit, X5 Retail Group, Auchan, Dixie, Metro Cash & Carry, and Lenta.
Its deputy director, Andrei Kashevarov, said he has no doubt the FAC would agree to implement the price freeze.
Prices of many goods soared at the end of last year as the ruble currency declined sharply and the effects of plummeting prices for oil, one of Russia's major exports, and sanctions imposed by the European Union and the United States over Moscow's interference in Ukraine hit the country's economy.
(Vedomosti, TASS, Interfax)
This just in from our correspondent in Brussels, Rikard Jozwiak:
EU Energy Commissioner Maros Sefcovic says the EU Commission will present the results of its investigation into Gazprom in a "matter of weeks."
The EU Commission launched an investigation into the state-owned energy giant in 2012 on suspicion that it was abusing its market dominance in several eastern EU member states.
Brussels is especially looking into whether Gazprom has hindered the free flow of natural gas across Europe and whether it has imposed excessively high prices by linking the price of its gas to oil.
The decision to present the results of the investigation and to announce possible penalties lies with Sefocovic's colleague, the EU competition commissioner Margrethe Vestager.
The probe was initially supposed to be presented last year but has proceeded slowly since the Ukraine conflict flared up.
Sefcovic added that he will propose that, in future, the EU Commission take part in negotiations between EU members and suppliers such as Gazprom.
Via TASS:
Russia hopes extreme measures in gas transit to Europe will be unnecessary, all depends on Kyiv's financial discipline - Putin
From Interfax:
Russia urges the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine to immediately start monitoring the withdrawal of heavy weapons from the line of contact in southeastern Ukraine in line with its mandate.
"We expect the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to immediately start performing the functions delegated to it to monitor and verify the withdrawal of heavy weapons by all conflicting parties," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.
"Russia welcomes the Donbas militia's determination to withdraw heavy weapons with the aim of creating a security zone in keeping with the Package of Measures for the Implementation of the Minsk Agreements," it said.
"It is regrettable that the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine, quoting the absence of instructions, is not displaying the proper willingness to perform the functions with which it has been invested and is avoiding the monitoring of the implementation of conflicting parties' obligation to withdraw heavy weapons. We note at the same time that the plan for withdrawing heavy weapons was agreed upon within the JCCC [the Joint Center for Control and Coordination] framework and is known to the OSCE Mission," it said.
"It is known that the parties to the Minsk agreements of February 12, 2015 called on the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine and the Joint Center for Control and Coordination (JCCC) to intensify their work, facilitate their implementation, and monitor the withdrawal of heavy weapons," it said.
Reuters flash:
RUSSIA'S PUTIN SAYS KIEV'S REFUSAL TO PROVIDE SEPARATIST REGIONS IN DONETSK AND LUHANSK WITH NATURAL GAS "SMELLS OF GENOCIDE"
Interfax flash: PUTIN: IN COMPLIANCE WITH MINSK ACCORDS KYIV MUST GUARANTEE ENERGY SUPPLIES OF DONETSK AND LUHANSK