Ukraine has seen its worst outbreak of violence since February's 'ceasefire' this month, with both sides blaming the other for the intensification of hostilities. Meanwhile, the US has dusted off the Cold War playbook (although, ironically, Defense Secretary Ash Carter claims Washington's stepped up "containment" efforts are part of a new, more modern strategy designed to help America avoid being pulled back into the Cold War), suggesting heavy weapons may be stored permanently in Eastern Europe to ensure NATO forces can deploy quickly in the face of Russian "aggression." Last week, Belgium, Austria, and France froze Russian state assets in an attempt to enforce an effectively unenforceable ECHR decision stemming from the long-running Yukos debacle, while Germany, Norway, The Czech Republic, and The Netherlands rehearsed a Ukraine siege in Poland.

Today, Europe has extended economic sanctions against Moscow for another six months or, until the Kremlin agrees to abide by the terms of the Minsk agreement which Europe, on the word of Kiev, assumes Moscow is violating. The Washington Post has more: