U.S.-led military exercises began Monday in Ukraine after a day of deadly fighting between government forces and pro-Russian rebels in the restive east that has piled pressure on a shaky 10-day-old truce. The decision to go ahead with the Rapid Trident exercise on Sept. 16-26 is seen as a sign of NATO’s commitment to support non-NATO member Ukraine, while stopping well short of military intervention in the conflict. The crisis in Ukraine's vital industrial heartland in the east - as well as Moscow's annexation of Crimea - have sent ties between Russia and the West plunging to their lowest point since the Cold War.
Russia's War Against Ukraine
Al Jazeera: US troops in Ukraine for exercise as cease-fire falters
A dancer in Ukrainian national costume performs during the opening ceremony of the \"Rapid Trident\" military exercises on Sept. 15, 2014 near the western Ukrainian town of Yavoriv.
