According to the Central Bank Governor Kairat Kelimbetov, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan are best prepared for global economic shocks among all post-Soviet countries apart from Russia.
US Vice President Joe Biden denounced Vladimir Putin's "pure aggression" in Ukraine, warning that Western nations must be prepared to respond with further sanctions.
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said in an interview broadcast that his crisis-torn country was fighting a "real war" with Russia that could escalate at any time.
Western powers are getting set to counter an expertly crafted Russian disinformation campaign over Ukraine which has left them wrong-footed too many times for comfort.
Ukraine will press European leaders for peacekeepers to patrol its war-torn east and will angle for more international financial support at two days of high-level talks starting.
The Red Cross said that an aid plane is ready to leave for Yemen but its departure has been held back by logistics problems inside the war-torn country.
Six Ukrainian troops were killed by landmines in the restive separatist-held east, breaking a lull of several days in a conflict that began a year ago this week.
