An ally of Vladimir Putin said on Monday that Russia's business elite would not put pressure him to change tack on Ukraine due to Western sanctions which would only strengthen support for the president's policies.

• August 4, 2014

Germany's Economy Ministry has confirmed it has halted Rheinmetall's (RHMG.DE) export of combat simulation gear to Russia, going beyond recently imposed EU sanctions which block future defense contracts.Economy Minister Sigmar Gabriel, a Social Democrat (SPD), has blocked the deal which was approved by Germany's previous government, the ministry said.

• August 4, 2014

Euro zone economic sentiment unexpectedly improved in July despite the deepening crisis between the West and Russia over Ukraine, data showed on Wednesday, and inflation expectations among consumers and companies edged up.

• July 31, 2014

Russia has banned soy imports from Ukraine and may impose restrictions on Greek fruits and U.S. poultry next week, Russian news agencies reported on Thursday, in what could be responses to new Western sanctions.

• July 31, 2014

Russia announced a ban on most fruit and vegetable imports from Poland on Wednesday and said it could extend it to the entire EU, a move Warsaw called Kremlin retaliation for new Western sanctions over Ukraine imposed on Russia a day earlier.

• July 30, 2014

New European Union and U.S. sanctions against Russia should not hurt the Czech economy, but a protracted trade war could create a new Iron Curtan between the EU and Russia, the Czech government said on Wednesday.

• July 30, 2014

The knock to confidence from harsher European sanctions on Russia could spoil the euro zone's budding economic recovery even if it shrugs off the fallout on trade.

• July 29, 2014

Shares in Russia's Rosneft fell more than the broad MICEX index on Monday after an international court ordered Moscow to pay $51 billion for expropriating the assets of the now-defunct oil producer Yukos, most of which were acquired by Rosneft in auctions.

• July 28, 2014