Ukraine's president says his country "must ensure the creation of mobile forces to protect the state. U.S. Army shares its experiences and is positive."
Russian deputy PM weighs in on Mistral debate.
From our newsroom:
Putin, Hollande Discuss Ukraine On Sidelines Of Yerevan Ceremonies
Russian President Vladimir Putin has met with his French counterpart, Francois Hollande, on the sidelines of ceremonies in Yerevan commemorating the 100th anniversary of the massacre of up to 1.5 million Armenians in the Ottoman Empire.
The talks between Putin and Hollande centered on the conflict in Ukraine as well as France's frozen $1.3 billion deal to sell two Mistral-class warships to Russia.
Interfax quotes Hollande as saying the best way to restore Russian-European relations is by implementing the Minsk agreements -- a reference to the European-brokered cease-fire agreement between Ukraine and pro-Russian rebels in February.
Earlier this week, Hollande said France would refund Russian payments for the Mistral warships if they are not delivered because of Moscow's involvement in Ukraine's conflict.
France postponed delivery of the first warship to Moscow last year in response to Russia's illegal annexation of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula and the Kremlin's support for pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine.
Based on reporting by AFP, Tass, and Interfax
'Illegal border crossing' added to Russian charges against Savchenko:
Investigators have brought an additional charge against Ukrainian military pilot Nadia Savchenko in what the prosecution called it's "final" case against her, alleging that she illegally crossed the border from Ukraine into Russia.
Russian Investigative Committee spokesman Vladimir Markin said on April 24 that Savchenko has been officially charged with "complicity in the killing of two or more people, complicity in the killing of two or more people using methods posing danger to the public based on political hatred, and illegally crossing the Russian border."
Markin said the investigation of Savchenko's case had been completed, meaning that the findings of the probe will be sent to her for review and later sent to court for her trial.
Savchenko, 33, is charged in connection with a June 2014 mortar attack that killed two Russian journalists covering the conflict between government forces and Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine.
She says she was kidnapped by pro-Russia separatists who handed her over to Russian military authorities in Ukraine, who illegally took her across the border into Russia.
In her native Ukraine, Savchenko has became a symbol of heroism for her stoic stance in Russian custody.
She has held a lengthy hunger strike, protesting her arrest and insisting the charges against her are fabricated. (TASS, Interfax)
Here's a video from RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, taking a look at the country's army. which is rebuilding with some help from Kyiv's allies:
