- President Barack Obama has warned Russia of further sanctions if it doesn't act to ease tensions in eastern Ukraine, as agreed upon in a peace deal signed last week in Geneva.
- Obama's comments come after Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov yesterday declared that an attack on his country's citizens in Ukraine "is an attack against the Russian Federation." He added that "if we are attacked, we would certainly respond."
- Notwithstanding, Ukraine's police today cleared the municipality building in the southeastern city of Mariupol of pro-Russian protesters.
- The move came after the government said yesterday that it would renew its action against the separatists across the whole region.
- Meanwhile, IMF staff have backed a $17B bailout for Ukraine, Bloomberg reports, with the fund's board set to approve the rescue next week.
- Russia's Micex index is -0.4%.
- More on Ukraine
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