What’s going on in Ukraine?

A serious worsening of the conflict in eastern Ukraine, which started last spring, has thrust the Eastern European nation back in the international spotlight.

How bad has the situation flared up? There has been a “grave escalation” of fighting, and the situation is “dire,” in the words of a senior U.S. State Department official.

The United Nations has warned of a growing number of civilian deaths as Ukrainian forces battle pro-Russian separatists for control in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

What other steps has the West taken?

The European Union and United States have imposed a series of financial sanctions against Russian interests and those of separatist leaders in Ukraine. European leaders have said they’ll add new names to the list. Russia has also suffered diplomatic isolation.

CNN