Raf Casert

With a years with a weak economy and riven by internal conflict, the European Union hopes that 2015 will not follow the past years’ trends.

Moscow and Kiev on Thursday clinched a deal that will guarantee that Russian gas exports flows into Ukraine throughout the winter despite their intense rivalry over the fighting in eastern Ukraine.

Ukraine and Russia on Tuesday failed to get a decisive breakthrough in their standoff over gas supplies to Kiev and will resume European Union-sponsored talks next week.