This item has been buzzing around social media this morning. It's not yet possible to confirm its veracity, but it's very disturbing if true:
BREAKING #RUS terrorists have started to use child soldiers. This is 15 year old Andrey http://t.co/tGnbsJl17H pic.twitter.com/Y8Z5CMJJHp
— lennutrajektoor (@lennutrajektoor) August 2, 2014
Good morning. We'll start the live blog today with this item from RFE/RL's news desk:
Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron has warned that NATO needs to review its long-term relationship with Russia to reflect the fact that Moscow sees the alliance as “an adversary.”
In a letter to other NATO leaders and the alliance's Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen ahead of a summit in Britain next month, Cameron said the alliance must change to be able to better defend its members from a potential Russian military threat.
According to Cameron, NATO has to be a "robust presence" in Eastern Europe because of Russia's "illegal” actions in Ukraine.
He proposed drafting a new schedule of military exercises, pre-positioning equipment and supplies, and enhancing the NATO Response Force of up to 25,000 troops.
The alliance has suspended all practical cooperation with Russia and stepped up exercises in Eastern Europe after Moscow's annexation of Crimea in March.
(Reuters, BBC)
This ends our live-blogging for August 1. Be sure to check back tomorrow for more of our continuing coverage.
From our news desk:
President Barack Obama has said the United States has done everything it can to convince Russia to change course in Ukraine, where the government is battling pro-Russian separatists.
Speaking at the White House on August 1, Obama said sanctions have imposed sufficient costs on Russia and that should lead Putin to want to resolve the Ukraine crisis.
But he said the Russian president is working contrary to the best interests of his country, adding, "Sometimes people don't always act rationally."
Earlier, the Kremlin quoted Putin as telling Obama during a telephone conversation that Western sanctions against his country are "counterproductive."
Meanwhile, U.S. Vice President Joe Biden told Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko the United States will provide $8 million in new assistance to bolster Ukraine's border security. (AP, Reuters, and ITAR-TASS)
From our news desk:
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has said his country will conduct early parliamentary elections, adding the military conflict with pro-Russian separatists in the east of the country must not be allowed to delay economic reforms.
"War is not a reason to delay reforms," Poroshenko said during a television interview on August 1.
He then said, "In autumn there will be a new parliament that will start of reforms" without giving any information about a possible date for the poll.
Poroshenko was widely expected to call for early parliamentary elections, originally scheduled for February 2017, after the dissolution of the ruling majority coalition in parliament on July 24 paved the way for new elections.
Poroshenko also signed new legislation passed on July 31 on the budget that provides for increased funding for the military. (UNIAN, Reuters, and AFP)
This is the Kremlin's version of the Putin-Obama conversation today:
The two leaders exchanged views on developments in the Ukrainian crisis. Despite their significant differences in views on many fundamental issues, both sides stressed the urgency of an immediate and stable ceasefire in southeast Ukraine and the launch of a political process. In this regard, the two presidents gave a positive assessment of the consultations by a contact group held in Minsk and noted the importance of continuing talks in this format.
The two heads of state discussed many aspects of the relations between Russia and the US. The President of Russia described Washington’s actions to impose pressure through sanctions as counterproductive, causing serious damage to bilateral cooperation and international stability overall.
Both presidents agreed that the current state of affairs does not serve the interests of either state. In this context, the two leaders exchanged views on prospects for Russian-American dialogue.
Latest from our news desk:
Russian President Vladimir Putin has told U.S. President Barack Obama that Western sanctions against his country are "counterproductive."
The two leaders also discussed bilateral relations, the crisis in Ukraine, and U.S. charges that Russia is violating a key nuclear arms treaty during an August 1 telephone conversation.
Obama repeated his "deep concerns" about Russian support for separatist militants in eastern Ukraine.
The two leaders agreed to keep channels of communication open, saying the current situation is not in the interests of either country.
Meanwhile, U.S. Vice President Joe Biden spoke with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and told him the United States will provide $8 million in new assistance to bolster Ukraine's border security. (AP, Reuters, and ITAR-TASS)