After an intense two days of shuttle diplomacy to develop a new plan for ending the fighting in Ukraine, officials from Russia, France, Germany and Ukraine are trying to refine proposals to be discussed on Sunday by the countries’ leaders.
A pact in September that called for a cease-fire and a pullback of heavy weapons failed to take hold, though all sides say they regard the agreement as key to settling the crisis.
U.S. and European Union sanctions against Moscow have combined with plunging oil prices to drive the Russian economy into dire straits; the ruble has lost half its value over …read more
Source: San Francisco Chronicle