Ukraine is nationalising its largest bank following concerns over its stability.

A spokesman for Vladimir Putin has denied the Russian president spoke by telephone to Elton John, contradicting an earlier claim by the British singer that the two men had a conversation.

Violence as MPs back plan giving autonomy to rebel-held areas.

Six Ukrainian servicemen were killed during the withdrawal from the fiercely contested town of Debaltseve, the country’s president has said.

Ukraine has pulled most of its troops out of Debaltseve, president Petro Poroshenko says.

A ceasefire that went into effect today in eastern Ukraine appears largely to be holding, except around the strategic railway hub of Debaltseve.

Guns would fall silent, heavy weapons would pull back from the front and Ukraine would trade broad autonomy for the east to get back control of its Russian border by the end of 2015 under a peace deal hammered out in negotiations between Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany.

Russian president Vladimir Putin has announced a ceasefire in eastern Ukraine from midnight on Saturday.

Leaders of Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany are struggling to reach a deal this morning in marathon talks aimed at ending fighting in eastern Ukraine.

Marathon talks on ending the war in Ukraine have lasted through the night amid reports that the leaders involved are preparing to sign an agreement.

Taoiseach will travel to Brussels today for an informal meeting of the heads of states.

Fighting in eastern Ukraine has intensified ahead of much-anticipated peace talks, with both sides claiming significant advances and the government accusing rebels of shelling a town far behind the front line.

Ukraine’s president has pushed for a quick ceasefire in his country’s troubled east, insisting that the conflict must be resolved and not “frozen,” and pressed Kiev’s case to be supplied with defensive weapons.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel says it is uncertain whether a flurry of diplomacy aimed at resolving the crisis in Ukraine will succeed, and warned that there are no guarantees that any deal would stick.

Talks on a Ukraine peace initiative will continue with a telephone call tomorrow between Russian president Vladimir Putin and his counterpart in Kiev to discuss a proposal to end the fighting.

The leaders of Germany and France met Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko in a hastily arranged mission to bring an end to the accelerated fighting in the east of the country.

At least five people have died after heavy shelling in rebel stronghold Donetsk in eastern Ukraine damaged a hospital, six schools and five nursery schools.

Thirteen people were killed when a bus in Ukraine was hit by a rocket earlier this month, but it barely registered as news outside a country still fighting on all sides, writes Lucian Kim

Indiscriminate rocket fire has hit a market, schools, homes and shops in the eastern Ukrainian city of Mariupol, killing at least 30 people, authorities said.

Signs have emerged pointing to a major offensive in eastern Ukraine by rebels fighting to break off from the rest of the country.

Separatist forces in eastern Ukraine have deployed large quantities of arms and manpower to an emerging flashpoint, undermining hopes for a new peace initiative taking shape.

Ukraine’s president vowed today to reassert government control over eastern regions as the army unleashed a counter-offensive against Russian-backed separatist fighters vying for command over the airport in the city of Donetsk.

The Ukrainian president has signed a bill dropping his country’s non-aligned status but signalled that he will hold a referendum before seeking Nato membership.

Government troops and Russian-backed separatists have largely suspended hostilities in east Ukraine in a fresh attempt to revive a largely ignored ceasefire deal.

French president Francois Hollande has met Russian leader Vladimir Putin during an impromptu visit to Moscow in a rare display of goodwill amid high tensions over the ongoing conflict in east Ukraine and France’s decision to suspend the delivery of two warships to Russia.

Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko has ordered army reinforcements to key southern and eastern cities, in case of a new rebel offensive.

Two pro-European parties in Ukraine running on a platform to enact tough reforms have taken the lead in the Ukrainian parliamentary election.

Ukrainians overwhelming voted in several pro-Western political parties yesterday in a landmark parliamentary election, another nudge in the former Soviet nation’s drift away from Russia.

Ukrainians have overwhelming voted in several pro-Western parties in a landmark parliamentary election today, another nudge in the former Soviet nation’s drift away from Russia.

Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko says he believes the conflict with Russian-backed separatists in the east is on the wane and that peace efforts will work.

The president of Ukraine has asked the US to give his soldiers lethal military equipment in its battle against Russian-backed separatists.

Ukraine’s parliament yesterday ratified an agreement to deepen economic and political ties with the EU and passed legislation to grant autonomy to the rebellious east as part of a peace deal.

Ukraine, Russia and the Kremlin-backed separatists signed a ceasefire deal after five months of bloodshed, and Europe prepared additional sanctions on Moscow.

Shelling resounded on the outskirts of a key Ukrainian port as Russian-backed rebels pressed their south-east offensive, just hours ahead of talks that are widely hoped to bring a ceasefire.

The European Union is set to unveil a fresh package of sanctions against Russia as western leaders staged a show of support for the beleaguered Ukrainian government.

Ukraine and the pro-Russian separatists appear increasingly close to signing a deal to end four months of fighting.

Russian President Vladimir Putin outlined plans for a ceasefire in eastern Ukraine yesterday but Ukraine’s prime minister dismissed the proposal, while France expressed its disapproval of Moscow’s support for separatist forces by halting delivery of a warship.

European Union leaders have stopped short of imposing immediate new sanctions against Moscow, despite tough rhetoric condemning Russia’s increasing military involvement in Ukraine.

Vladimir Putin has been warned that he is “practically in a state of war with Europe” as EU leaders mull tougher sanctions over the Ukraine crisis.

President Barack Obama is ruling out the possibility that the US will take military action to address growing violence in Ukraine.

The presidents of Russia and Ukraine are meeting for their first bilateral talks at a much-anticipated summit in Minsk, which many voiced hopes may help bring an end to fighting between Kiev’s forces and pro-Russian separatists in east Ukraine.

The presidents of Russia and Ukraine have sat down for talks, meeting face-to-face for the first time since June on the fighting that has engulfed eastern Ukraine.