Amendments to a EU-Ukraine trade deal at the centre of tensions between Russia and the West can only be agreed between Brussels and Kiev, the head of the European Commission has said.

• October 1, 2014

Turkey signalled it may send troops into Syria or Iraq and let allies use Turkish bases to fight Islamic State, as coalition jets launched air strikes on Wednesday on insurgents besieging a town on its southern border with Syria.

• October 1, 2014

Russia's energy minister said on Tuesday he hoped to reach a deal in a gas dispute with Ukraine this week, but Kiev must pay some of its large debts before Moscow resumes gas supplies.

• September 30, 2014

The European Union decided on Tuesday to keep in place a package of economic sanctions against Russia over its support for separatist rebels in eastern Ukraine despite what it called "encouraging developments" on the ground after a ceasefire deal.

• September 30, 2014

The European Commission on Tuesday announced a new set of measures, worth up to 165 million euros, to help fruit and vegetable producers hit by a Russian ban on agricultural imports.

• September 30, 2014

NATO's potential expansion to the former Yugoslav republics of Bosnia, Macedonia and Montenegro could be seen as a "provocation", Russia's foreign minister was quoted as saying in a newspaper interview published on Monday.

• September 29, 2014

Russia issued a new warning on Monday that it would retaliate if the European Union or Ukraine push ahead with moves to implement a free-trade agreement.

• September 29, 2014

The head of Syria's al Qaeda branch said militants will attack the West in retaliation for U.S.-led air strikes in Syria and Iraq, and President Barack Obama acknowledged U.S. intelligence had underestimated the rise of Islamic State fighters.

• September 29, 2014