Ukrainian crisis

Russia on Feb. 26 called Western threats of fresh sanctions against Moscow evidence that Washington and Brussels are not interested in the success of a troubled truce in Ukraine.
      

The foreign ministers of Ukraine, Russia, France and Germany met in the so-called "Normandy format" on Tuesday, calling for the reinforcement of the OSCE monitoring mission to Ukraine.

The foreign ministers also called for respect of the ceasefire agreement, that had been agreed by the leaders of the Normandy group earlier in February in Minsk, EurActiv reports.

US Secretary of State John Kerry on Feb. 24 accused Russian leaders of lying "to my face" about Moscow's involvement in the conflict in Ukraine and denounced what he called Russia's "propaganda."       

Russian President Vladimir Putin stated in an interview for a local TV channel that an apocalyptic scenario of war with Ukraine can be deemed ''unlikely". 

The Ukrainian ambassador to Sofia Mykola Baltazhy stated on Monday that a large wave of refugees fleeing the conflict in his country was not expected to reach Bulgaria.

Baltazhy said in an interview for the Bulgarian National Televesion (BNT) that the conflict in Ukraine threatens not only Bulgaria, but all of Ukraine's neighbours, Europe and Russia.

Ukrainian authorities have detained a number of suspects in connection with a bomb attack in Kharkiv that left at least two people dead and 10 injured.

The explosion occurred at 13:20 local time as people were gathering near the city's Palace of Sport for a rally marking one year since the start of the Maidan protests in Kiev, according to reports of the BBC News.

Romanian President Klaus Iohannis marked one year since the EuroMaidan public protests ousted Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich from Kiev; Iohannis voiced his hope that the results of the peace negotiations in Minsk will be observed and armed conflict will cease in Ukraine.

Photo credit: (c) ALEX MICSIK / AGERPRES FLOW

Former President Viktor Yanukovich promised to return back home and expressed his regret for the current situation in Ukraine in an interview for the Russian Channel 1.

"No regime is worth the losses Ukraine has suffered after the events of February 21-22, 2014," he said. "The country is destroyed, we see territorial losses, casualties, the destruction of whole regions."

President Klaus Iohannis announced, on Thursday, that on March 17 he will conduct an official visit to Ukraine and mentioned that he does not believe arms deliveries to this country are a solution at this moment for resolving the conflict in the area.

Photo credit: (c) Alex MICSIK / AGERPRES PHOTO

Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias will visit Kiev on Thursday for a meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart Pavlo Klimkin, the ministry has said in a statement.

Kotzias will be briefed by Ukraine's national security council before meeting with representatives of the ethnic Greek community and business associations.