TODAY: Russian and Ukrainian Presidential talks see little progress, Putin threatens economic retaliation for EU alliance; NATO to beef up resources to defend against Russian aggression; imminent Russian recession spells bad news for global recovery; Sechin wins court ruling in defamation case; Russia releases Japanese whaling ship.

Talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko ended yesterday without a breakthrough in the peace process or a commitment to a ceasefire; Poroshenko described the talks as ‘tough and complex’, and demanded a halt of arms shipments from Russia to separatist fighters in Ukraine; Putin said the talks were positive, and vowed that Russia would ‘do everything for this peace process,’ but said that it was essentially up to Kiev to work out the conditions of a ceasefire.  By U.N. estimates, 36 people on average have been killed every day in Ukraine since the fighting began.  Putin warned Poroshenko against any further escalation of current violence, and again threatened economic retaliation for Ukraine’s accord with the European Union.  In any case, says the Guardian, a ceasefire ‘on its own would not be enough’, and there was apparently little agreement during the discussions.