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Russia has asked China for military ​equipment to ​support its invasion of Ukraine, ​according to US officials, sparking concern in ​the White House that Beijing ​may undermine western efforts to help Ukrainian forces defend their country. US officials told the Financial Times that Russia had requested military equipment and other assistance since the start of the invasion. They declined to give details about what Russia had requested. Another person familiar with the situation said the US was preparing to warn its allies, amid some indications that China may be preparing to help Russia. Other US officials have said there were...

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Monday that his government has been told that Wednesday, Feb. 16, will be "the day of attack" when Russia invades Ukraine. The United States and its allies have repeatedly warned of an imminent invasion by Russia, which has stationed some 130,000 troops near Ukraine's borders to the north, south and east. Russia denies it is planning an invasion. "We are told that February 16 will be the day of the attack," Zelenskyy said in a written statement posted on Facebook, without saying who provided this information.

Today the Executive Board of the IMF reversed its "policy on not lending into arrears." IMF spokesman Gerry Rice said in a statement that “the IMF’s executive board met today and agreed to change the current policy on non-toleration of arrears to official creditors." Historically, the IMF has refused to lend to any country that has not serviced its debt to any sovereign. The IMF staff started contemplating a rule change in the spring of 2013 because nontraditional creditors, such as China, had started providing developing countries with large loans. The IMF intended to adopt a new policy in the...

'Brief' video clip at link. "...because he (President Putin) was caught, uh...off balance by the protests in the Maidan and, uh... Yanukovych (president voted by Ukrainian people) then fleeing after we've brokered a deal, uh... to transition power in Ukraine".

As new U.S. sanctions against Russia loom, the Kremlin has shut down—at least for now—intensive high level communications between top U.S. and Russian officials. Since the invasion of Crimea, President Vladimir Putin and President Barack Obama have had regular phone calls in an often half-hearted attempt to deescalate the ongoing crisis inside Ukraine. But as the U.S. and EU prepare to unveil new sanctions against Russia, Putin has decided the interactions should stop. The Kremlin has ended high-level contact with the Obama administration, according to diplomatic officials and sources close to the Russian leadership. The move signals an end to...

Russia will only recognize a new Ukrainian government after nationwide elections have been held. But they must not take place in the same "atmosphere of terror" that was created by the abrupt overthrow of Yanukovych in Kiev ten days ago. Putin added the intriguing suggestion that Ukrainians might escape from their present impasse by rewriting their national charter. "Frankly, they should adopt a new constitution through a referendum so that all citizens of Ukraine feel engagement in that process, have an input on the formation of the new principles of how their nation should function." A new constitution for Ukraine,...