Here is some business data from RFE/RL's news desk, which is at least peripherally related to the Ukraine crisis:
The euro fell to a nine-year low against the U.S. dollar on January 5, and the Russian ruble lost ground as oil prices dropped as low as $50 per barrel.
The European currency hit $1.1864, its lowest level since March 2006, before recovering moderately.
The decline failed to spur a rally in European stocks, which fell sharply amid fears that Greece could soon leave the 19-nation eurozone.
U.S. crude oil dropped below $50 per barrel for the first time in five years, while benchmark Brent North Sea crude was selling for about $53 per barrel.
The ruble, which lost nearly half its value last year and dropped as low as 80 per dollar on December 16 before recovering, was back below 60 per dollar late on January 5.
Russia's energy-reliant economy has been hit by falling oil prices and Western sanctions imposed over Moscow's interference in Ukraine.
(With reporting by AFP, AP, and Reuters)
We are now closing the live blog for today. Before we go, we'll leave you with this update from our news desk. Don't forget that you can keep up with all our ongoing Ukraine coverage here.
Ukraine's representative to the "Normandy format" talks in Berlin on January 5 has said there will be a meeting of the group's foreign ministers in the Kazakh capital Astana on January 9.
Oleksiy Makeyev, the head of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry's department of politics and communications, announced the January 9 meeting of the foreign ministers of Ukraine, Russia, France, and Germany on his Twitter account late on January 5.
Makeyev headed the Ukrainian delegation at the talks in Berlin.
Makeyev also wrote on his Twitter account that it was possible a "general agreement" could be signed at the Astana meeting.
Makeyev told a Ukrainian television station that there was also a possibility of a meeting in Kyiv of officials from Ukraine, Russia, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and representatives from eastern Ukraine's Donetsk and Luhansk regions, which are currently under the control of pro-Russian separatists.
Good morning. Here's our latest news wrap on the lead Ukraine story today.
Kyiv's representative to four-nation talks on Ukraine in Berlin on January 5 has said there will be a meeting of the foreign ministers of Ukraine, Russia, Germany, and France in the Kazakh capital Astana on January 9.
This is just breaking.