WASHINGTON, June 20 - U.S. Vice President Joe Biden has promised in a telephone conversation with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko to strengthen sanctions against Russia if needed, the White House reported.

BRUSSELS, June 20 – The European Commission will continue its attempts to achieve a compromise between Russia and Ukraine in settling the gas issue and Moscow, and it has been proposed to Kiev to hold a new round of trilateral talks, European Energy Commissioner Gunther Oettinger said.

WASHINGTON, June 20 - The leaders of the United States, France and Germany agreed on Friday that Russia faces the risk of new sanctions from the West if it fails to defuse tensions on the Ukraine border, the White House said.

KIEV, June 22 - Fighting flared between Ukrainian and pro-Moscow separatist forces, both sides reported on Sunday, further straining a unilateral ceasefire declared by Ukraine, Reuters reported.

KIEV, June 20 - President Petro Poroshenko on Friday ordered a seven-day ceasefire in the fight against pro-Russian separatists, but also warned them they could face 'elimination' if they did not use the time to put down their guns.

KIEV, June 21 – One of the leading U.S. law firms Covington&Burling LLP and one of the largest audit companies in the world BDO will draw up a report on a gas case against Yulia Tymoshenko, Tymoshenko's defense lawyer Serhiy Vlasenko has said.

KIEV, June 22 – Ukraine’s former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, now an opposition leader, announced Wednesday she asked the European Court of Human Rights to rule on whether domestic criminal investigations against her are politically motivated.

KIEV, June 22 - Ukraine will tap shale gas and methane deposits to increase by 50% its output of natural gas within the next 10 years, Andriy Kliuyev, the first deputy prime minister, said Tuesday.

KIEV, June 22 – Prime Minister Mykola Azarov agreed to travel to Moscow on Monday for energy talks with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin after a phone conversation between the two on Tuesday, a news agency reported.

KIEV, June 22 – Belarus on Tuesday threatened to shut down Russian natural gas supplies to Europe after accusing Moscow of waging a “gas war” against the country as debt dispute between the two escalated.