Ukraine took its place just Jan. 1 as a rotating nonpermanent member of the United Nations Security Council and was already preparing Jan. 4 to call for a peacekeeping mission to be sent to the Donbass region, where the low-level war between government forces and Russian-backed rebels continues. The move is likely to trigger objections from the Kremlin, which continues to deny any direct military role in the conflict.
International Business Times: Amid Russia tensions, Ukraine to call for UN peacekeeping mission
A Ukrainian military medic speaks with a local resident in the village of Zaytseve, Donetsk region, on Dec. 12, 2015.
