Ukraine's parliament gave President Petro Poroshenko a strong boost on Thursday by resoundingly endorsing his candidates for three key posts in his new team who will have to tackle a pro-Russian uprising, a near-bankrupt economy and endemic graft.

• June 19, 2014

After a late-night telephone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko on Wednesday set out proposals for a peace plan for eastern Ukraine involving a unilateral ceasefire by government forces.

• June 18, 2014

Russia cut off gas to Ukraine on Monday in a dispute over unpaid bills that could disrupt supplies to the rest of Europe and set back hopes for peace between the former Soviet neighbours.

• June 16, 2014

Ukraine's president promised a tough response on Saturday to pro-Russian separatists who shot down an army transport plane, killing 49 servicemen and dealing a blow to a military campaign to crush their uprising.

• June 15, 2014

Ukraine began preparing on Friday for Russia to cut off its gas after talks on long-running price dispute broke down, raising the prospect of supplies to the European Union also being disrupted from Monday.

• June 13, 2014

The Ukrainian flag fluttered over the regional government headquarters in the strategic port city of Mariupol on Friday after government forces reclaimed the city from pro-Russian separatists in heavy fighting, and said they had regained control of a long stretch of the border with Russia.

• June 13, 2014

Russia plans to submit a draft resolution to the U.N. Security Council to put pressure on Ukraine to implement a "road map" to peace, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was quoted as saying on Thursday.

• June 12, 2014

Russia and Ukraine resumed efforts to settle their gas price row on Wednesday after Kiev rejected a proposal that would have cut its gas bill by around a fifth and averted a possible suspension of supplies that would also hit the rest of Europe.

• June 11, 2014