Hungarians protested at what they see as the country's move towards Russia in the latest demonstration against the government of controversial Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
One of Ukraine's biggest TV networks faced the threat of being taken off air for filling its highly-rated New Year's Eve show with Russian pop songs beamed live from Moscow.
Ukraine's Western-backed leader Petro Poroshenko promised to meet Russia's Vladimir Putin and involve US President Barack Obama in his stalled push for peace.
The International Monetary Fund said it was suspending talks on a new disbursement of financial aid to Greece until a new government is formed after elections.
Russian gas giant Gazprom said it had taken complete control of the company behind the abandoned South Stream pipeline project, buying shares belonging to France's EDF.
Greece's parliament will try to elect a president on Monday in a last-ditch bid to avoid snap general elections that could bring the hard-left to power and spark new concerns over the eurozone economy.
Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov proposed the creation of a "special regiment" made up from Chechnya's armed forces to help defend Russia from Western aggression
Their international competitors may be cheering tumbling oil prices, but the collapse in the ruble has meant major financial turbulence for Russian airlines.
The Greek public doesn't want a new adventure, Prime Minister warned as he sought to stave off a snap election by urging lawmakers to choose a new president.