Ukraine

Ukraine's officials accused Russia of conducting a large military build-up near the country's border that raises the threat of an invasion.

Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Andriy Parubiy warned that he has "every reason to believe" that Russian forces along Ukraine's southern and eastern borders will invade, KyivPost reports.

The political part of EU's Association Agreement in Ukraine will probably be signed next week.

After Wednesday's talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced that, "if there are no technical obstacles", signing of some documents regarding the agreement should take place at the upcoming meeting of the European Council, which is next week.

NATO works to help Ukraine

Some Serbs believe Russian involvement in Ukraine foreshadows potential interference with Serbia as Belgrade pursues an EU path.

BELGRADE - Serbian Prime Minister Ivica Dacic stated on Tuesday that the statement by Gerhard Schroeder, former chancellor of Germany, that the 1999 air campaign against Serbia constituted a violation of international law has no legal significance for Serbia except that it proves what Serbia has always claimed - that the bombing was an aggression rather than a peacekeeping operation.

BELGRADE - Serbian First Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic, who is also the leader of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), said late Sunday that the threat posed by extremism promoted by extremist parties, politicians and tycoons - all those who see chaos as an opportunity to reverse the looming electoral defeat - should not be underestimated.

Russian energy giant Gazprom has warned that it will stop supplies to Ukraine if it does not pay its debt.

Alexei Miller, its Executive Director, explained Ukraine currently owes USD 1.89 B and assure his company "cannot supply gas for free", he was reported by Businessweek as saying.

Both Houses of the Russian Parliament will approve a move by Crimea to join the Russian Federation.

This is the first official sign that Moscow backs the actions of the new Crimean authorities, which announced on Thursday the peninsula was seceding from Ukraine and would hold a referendum on March 16 to confirm the decision.

"Serbia always stood with Russia, must do so now"

BELGRADE -- Vice-President of the opposition DSS party Nenad Popović has said that Serbia "must in no way take part in EU's policy against Russia."

Popović made the statement on Friday after a meeting with Valery Ryazanskiy, a member of the Presidency of the General Council of the ruling United Russia party.

The EU will unilaterally open the European market for Ukrainian goods and producers.

Brussels has also approved the decision to sign a political part of the Association Agreement with Kiev "within nearest time", Ukrainian Government's website has informed.