Lech Walesa, onetime leader of the pro-democracy Solidarity trade union that ended communism in Poland, said his country should join the euro zone to become fully free and safe from Russia, its former imperial overlord.

• June 4, 2014

President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that Russia should consider recapitalizing state gas company Gazprom after a $400 billion deal with China which will require multi-billion-dollar investments in pipelines and new fields.

• June 4, 2014

Fighting raged in eastern Ukraine for the second straight day on Tuesday as the army rolled out an offensive against pro-Russia separatists holding the city of Slaviansk, with dead and wounded on both sides, the Ukrainian government said.

• June 3, 2014

A Snapshot of Key Developments in the External Relations of the Russian Gas Sector
By Jack Sharples, EGF Associate Researcher on the external dimensions of Russian gas and Lecturer in Energy Politics at the European University of St Petersburg

Key points:

• Special report on the Gazprom-CNPC gas deal: Gazprom was always unlikely to achieve ‘European’ prices for its gas exports to China, but the deal with CNPC is crucial to the development of gas production and transportation in East Siberia and Russia’s Far East
• In-depth report on the latest developments in the Gazprom-Naftogaz dispute: Gazprom switches to pre-payment, and demands that Naftogaz pay up front for its June gas supplies. If Naftogaz fails to pay by the 2nd of June, Gazprom’s supplies to Naftogaz to could be halted the following day
• EU antitrust damages directive approved by European Parliament, and passed to EU Council of Ministers for final approval
• Gazprom and Lietuvos Dujos reach agreement on gas price for Lithuania, as Lithuania continues to negotiate for alternative supplies
• Eni signs landmark agreement with Gazprom to switch to spot pricing in existing long-term gas supply contract
• South Stream could get a 32 bcm spur from Hungary to Austria
• Gazprom Marketing and Trading Ltd and CNPC each agree to buy 3 million tonnes of LNG per year for the next 20 years from Novatek’s Yamal LNG project

• June 3, 2014

Russia's envoy to NATO on Monday accused the Western alliance of encouraging the use of force by the Ukrainian government in eastern Ukraine and of hampering efforts to find a peaceful solution to the crisis, Russian news agency RIA reported.

• June 2, 2014

Russia gave Ukraine a breathing space on Monday in a multi-billion-dollar gas dispute but balanced the concession with fierce denunciations of Kiev and NATO, while fighting raged all day in eastern Ukraine.

• June 2, 2014

Signs of an economic revival in China have raised hopes that Beijing's targeted measures to bolster growth are having an impact but a slowdown in the euro zone will increase expectations of policy easing there.

• June 2, 2014

President Barack Obama heads to Warsaw, Brussels, Paris and Normandy this week where he is expected to elaborate on the U.S. commitment to counter Russian moves against Ukraine and reassure nervous allies the United States has their backs.

• June 1, 2014