US president Barack Obama confirmed America is lifting economic sanctions and restoring trade benefits to former pariah state Burma as he met with Aung San Suu Kyi, a former political prisoner who is now the nation's de facto leader.

Turkey’s prime minister has said his country cannot be “brought to its knees” by Russian economic sanctions imposed in response to his country’s downing of a Russian warplane.

EU leaders are likely to keep economic sanctions on Russia in place until a Ukraine ceasefire deal is fully working, after German chancellor Angela Merkel said it would be wrong to ease pressure on Moscow prematurely.