Ukraine

Tension has been rising in the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk as pro-Russian demonstrators seized a government administration building on Wednesday.

Some of the activists barged through the police protecting the area and entered the government building by smashing windows and entrances, Euronews reports. The Ukrainian flag on the roof was replaced by a Russian one.

The EU freezes the bank accounts of 18 former government officials of Ukraine as of Thursday. 

The list of names is not officially announced, but among them are the ousted president Viktor Yanukovich, his two sons, the former chief prosecutor Victor Pshonka, interior minister Vitalii Zaharenko, justice minister Olga Lukash and heads of Yanukovich's administration. 

KOPAONIK - Serbian Prime Minister Ivica Dacic said on Tuesday that he wishes Ukraine and its people to recover from the crisis, and that Serbia will be constructive and provide assistance if necessary.

The Bulgarian government is dissatisfied with Ukraine's decision to cancel the recognition of Bulgarian language as regional language.

Earlier this week Ukraine's Verkhovna Rada canceled the State Language Policy Act, which was granting the status of “regional language” to the language of minority groups who make up more than 10% of the residents in an area.

Ukrainian former heavyweight boxer and opposition leader Vitali Klitschko has announced he will run for president at the elections scheduled for May 25.

He declared his bid on the first day of the election campaign, which started on Tuesday as the Ukrainian Central Election Commission posted a deadline until 4 April for registration of candidates.

No details on foreign financial assistance to Ukraine

KIEV -- Russia should be a good neighbor to Ukraine and allow it to move forward in the direction that is has chosen, said Catherine Ashton.

The Euronews TV channel removed from its Facebook page the cover photo of the Soviet soldier painted in the colors of Ukraine at the Soviet army monument in Sofia.

The photo stirred outrage among the Russian viewers who posted hateful comments and Russia's foreign ministry, which said that the use of the photo of the “desecrated monument” has “crossed all borders”.

The prospects of financial assistance to Ukraine are to be discussed on Tuesday in Washington between UK Foreign Secretary William Hague and his counterpart John Kerry.

The formation of an interim government is expected on Tuesday in Ukraine, as Parliament Speaker and Interim President Olexandr Turchynov revealed.

In Kiev, the Parliament has been dismounting the political system, dismissing ministers from cabinet, constitutional judges and Ukraine's General Prosecutor, Russian Information Agency Novosti reports.

“We Are Witnessing a Democratic Revolution in Ukraine”, Bulgaria's President Rosen Plevneliev wrote in his official Twitter account on Monday.

In a series of tweets, commenting on the situation in Ukraine, Plevneliev said it was of the highest importance that Ukraine remains whole and conducts open and fair elections.