UKRAINE

Russian officials hope "clarity" will be brought to discussions on Friday between Angela Merkel, Francois Hollande and Vladimir Putin.

The Russian and Greek leaders talked Thursday about gas projects, which could help alleviate economic woes in both countries.

Only two out of 660 scholars surveyed said John Kerry is the best U.S. secretary of state in the past 50 years.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, who Western officials say instigated the Ukraine crisis, will meet with Merkel and Hollande on Friday.

NATO's top leaders met Thursday to discuss an expansion of its rapid-reaction force from 13,000 to 30,000 troops.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry flew to Kiev on Thursday to conduct talks with Ukraine and bolster peace efforts.

Russia's ruler may have "an autistic disorder which affects all of his decisions," the report found.

The campaign was first launched in earnest when the U.S. introduced new sanctions against the Russian government.

Ashton Carter was nominated to become Obama's fourth defense secretary after Chuck Hagel resigned under pressure last year.

Svetlana Davydova called the Ukrainian embassy in April to warn of Russian military movement to Ukraine, she was detained in January.

The outperformance was due to an unexpected profit of $470 million from Rosneft which has been hit hard by Western sanctions.

Amid a surge of new fighting in eastern Ukraine, the U.S. government and military leaders are considering providing lethal aid to Ukraine.

Baird's departure leaves the Harper government with a major post unfilled in an election year.

The president's proposal includes $75 million in military aid to Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova to "counter Russian aggression."

Sending weapons to Ukraine could escalate fighting, but may be necessary to confront Russia's wider aggression.

The Ukrainian government also announced plans to boost its forces in the country's east.

As pro-Russian rebels intensify their attacks in Ukraine, the U.S. is reconsidering the question of providing more lethal assistance to Kiev.

The call comes one day after the latest round of truce talks buckled in Minsk Saturday.

Even the Belarusian president dubbed "the last dictator in Europe" is distancing himself from Moscow these days.

The rearmament of strategic nuclear missile forces is an absolute priority, according to the Russian government.

Global fears weighed on the financial markets Friday after the U.S. economy grew slower than expected last quarter.