Here is today's map of the security situation in eastern Ukraine, according to the National Security and Defense Council (CLICK TO ENLARGE):
Artillery fire breaks out in east Ukraine
Donetsk, Ukraine, March 22, 2015 (AFP) -- Intensive artillery fire broke out Sunday near the rebel-held city of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine, apparently breaking an internationally brokered ceasefire between pro-Russian separatists and the Ukrainian government, an AFP reporter said.
The sound of explosions began at 9:00 am (0600 GMT) and appeared to come from the area of Donetsk airport, a once important Ukrainian air hub which was captured by rebels in January and has been destroyed in fighting.
Under a ceasefire that took effect February 15 both sides were meant to withdraw all heavy weapons and to stop shooting. Sporadic clashes have continued near Donetsk and the government-held port city of Mariupol, but overall the rate of fighting has sharply declined.
Flash from Reuters:
NATO COMMANDER BREEDLOVE, ASKED ABOUT DEFENSIVE WEAPONS FOR UKRAINE, SAYS WEST SHOULD CONSIDER USING ALL ITS TOOLS
By RFE/RL
BRUSSELS -- Norway's foreign minister says the country that provides one-fifth of the natural gas consumed in the European Union could increase supplies to the 28-member bloc in the future.
Foreign Minister Borge Brande spoke on March 21 in Brussels at a discussion on energy security in the EU, which is concerned about its reliance on Russia for energy supplies and is seeking to diversify sources.
“I think [Norway] can be a contributor [to the EU's energy security] and we are already: Russia is responsible for 30 percent of the gas that is consumed in the EU, Norway 20 percent."
Brande added: “We can step up further in the years to come.”
Miguel Arias Canete, the EU commissioner for climate action and energy, said that potential imports from gas-rich Turkmenistan and from Iran, which is now under economic sanctions over its nuclear program, underscore the need for reliable supply routes from the Caspian Sea region.
He said Russia "will have to be partners in the future," but that its contracts must be transparent and it must respect "European laws."
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced in December that Russia was scrapping the South Stream pipeline, which was to deliver gas to Europe via the Black Sea but which ran afoul of EU rules amid tension over Moscow's interference in Ukraine.
BP Executive Vice President Dev Sanyal, whose company has a shareholding of 19.75 percent in state oil company Rosneft, said Russia "is continuing to be a very important source of energy for Europe.”