NATO chief Stoltenberg says there has been a "serious military buildup" in eastern Ukraine and on the Russian side of the border, calls on Russia to "pull back its troops and contribute to a peaceful agreement." -- Reuters/AFP
Czech media report that President Milos Zeman -- whose perceived pro-Moscow actions and criticism of Western sanctions against Russia have contributed to a popular backlash that included a "red-card" protest yesterday -- has invited Vladimir Putin to Prague in January, along with the leaders of Britain, France, and the United States, to mark the liberation of Auschwitz (in Poland).