Here is today's map of the security situation in eastern Ukraine, according to the National Security and Defense Council (CLICK TO ENLARGE):
Barring any major developments, that concludes our live-blogging of the Ukraine crisis for Sunday, December 6. Check back here tomorrow morning for more of our continuing coverage.
Biden Visits Ukraine To Reaffirm U.S. Support
U.S. Vice President Joe Biden arrived in Kyiv late on December 6 for a two-day visit aimed at pushing Ukraine toward making reforms and reassuring leaders that the crisis in Syria is not overshadowing Washington's concerns about the country.
Biden will meet Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk on December 7 and deliver an address to parliament the following day.
Fighting between Ukrainian forces and Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine has diminished since early September. However, tensions remain high because of unresolved questions about the final political status of separatist regions in the east.
Meanwhile, Western attention has largely turned away toward the fight against Islamic extremism in Syria and Iraq.
Since Russia began air strikes in Syria on September 30, Ukrainian officials have worried their own country's troubles would fade from view. Biden's meetings with Ukraine's top leaders are intended to counter that concern.