Central Europe raises military spending amid Russia fears:
Countries in Central Europe showed the largest relative increases in military spending in 2016, at least partially as a result of the perceived increased threat from Russia, a new study says.
"The growth in spending by many countries in Central Europe can be partly attributed to the perception of Russia posing a greater threat," the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) said in a report released on April 23.
The study said spending in Central Europe increased 2.6 percent, the largest amount relative to population.
Russia increased military expenditures by 5.9 percent last year to $69.2 billion, making it the third-largest spender after the United States and China.
Russia's military spending in 2016 was 27 percent of the combined total of European NATO members, SIPRI said.
The United States increased military spending by 1.7 percent to $611 billion, while China hiked outlays 5.4 percent to $215 billion.
Saudi Arabia's military spending declined sharply. In 2015, it was the third-largest spender, but it fell to fourth for 2016 after expenditures declined 30 percent to $63.7 billion as oil prices declined and the country underwent an austerity program.
Tillerson briefs Poroshenko on Moscow trip, vows "firm" support:
By RFE/RL
U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has told Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko that Russia's actions in eastern Ukraine remain an obstacle to improved U.S.-Russian relations and he reiterated his "firm" support for Kyiv.
Spokesman Mark Toner on April 23 said the call was meant to brief the Ukrainian leader on Tillerson’s April 11-12 trip to Moscow, where he met with President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
He said Tillerson relayed his "message to the Russian leadership that, although the United States is interested in improving relations with Russia, Russia's actions in eastern Ukraine remain an obstacle."
Toner said Poroshenko passed on his condolences on the death earlier in the day of a U.S. member of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Special Monitoring Mission in eastern Ukraine.
The OSCE said a member of its monitoring staff was killed and two were injured after their vehicle hit a mine in eastern Ukraine in an area controlled by Russia-backed separatists.
The OSCE first deployed staff in 2014 to monitor the cease-fires between the Russia-backed separatists and Ukrainian government forces in a conflict that has killed at least 9,940 people. The mission has been extended to at least March 2018.
Tillerson and Poroshenko agreed that "this tragic incident makes clear the need for all sides -- and particularly the Russian-led separatist forces -- to implement their commitments under the Minsk agreements immediately," Toner said.
The spokesman said the secretary reiterated the "firm" U.S. commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. He confirmed that sanctions against Moscow will remain in place until Russia returns control of the Crimean Peninsula to Ukraine and fully implements its commitments in the Minsk agreements.
The 2015 Minsk agreement and subsequent related agreements set out steps to end the war between Ukraine and Russia-backed separatists in eastern Europe and restore Kyiv's control over the border with Russia.
Tillerson also "emphasized the importance of Ukraine’s continued progress on reform and combating corruption," Toner said.
We are now closing the live blog for today, but we'll be back tomorrow morning to follow all the latest developments. Until then, you can keep up with all our other Ukraine coverage here.
Warning: Some may find this footage distressing (even though the most graphic parts are pixelated)