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Two NATO warships have docked at the Ukrainian portof Odessa and will open its doors to local visitors as part of the alliances bid to show support for Ukraines ambitions to one day join the Western-led bloc.

Ukraine, once a famously neutral state, has veered towardNATO membership since its relationship with neighboring Russia collapsed after a series of land grabs by pro-Russian forces in 2014. A poll last month found that nearly56 percent of Ukrainianssupported joining the alliance.

Read More: How a Russian ally kicked the U.S. military out after receiving missile strike threat

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The U.K. Royal Navys HMS Duncan and Turkeys frigate Yildirim arrived at the Black Sea port on Monday for a three-day stay,NATO representation to Ukraine announced on Facebook.

The vessels are in Ukrainian waters following a U.S.-led drill, called Sea Breeze, in which Ukraine took part. Theirpurpose this week, however, is more symbolic. The NATO liaison officer in Ukraine, Alexander Vinnikov, has officially gone aboard the visiting vessels, whichwill be open to Ukrainians who want to get better acquainted with the navies of Kievs western partners.

Russia has repeatedly objected to nonregional forces entering the Black Sea, taking particular issue with U.S. Navy vessels.

Tensions between Russia and Ukraine are high, as violence between government loyalists and Russian-backed separatist troops in eastern Ukraine flares up every year around August.

Ukraines president, Petro Poroshenko, warned on Sunday during a call with the leaders of Russia, Germany and France that Ukraine was entering the bloodiest outburst of 2017.Nine Ukrainian soldiers had died in the previous 72 hours.

The new U.S. envoy to the Ukraine ceasefire talks, Kurt Volker, said on Monday that he was astonished by the frail state of the ceasefire in eastern Ukraine and said the conflict resembled a hot war.

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NATO Shows Ukraine Support at Sea but War in East Turns Bloody - Newsweek

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The communist soldier using charity sites to fund his war - BBC News BBC News Several Americans and Brits are using charity donation websites to finance their war efforts in eastern Ukraine. and more »

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The communist soldier using charity sites to fund his war - BBC News - BBC News

Ukraine's prospects are looking up.

Two years ago, the countrys then finance minister Natalie Jaresko was seeking fiscal aid. The economy was shattered by war with Russia, which saw GDP plummet by 9.7 per cent in 2015.

Things look rather different for her successor. Oleksandr Danylyuk, a former executive with consultant McKinsey in London, took over in early 2016, just as the economy started to rebound.

Earlier this month, he returned to the capital to sell investments in an economy which the International Monetary Fund (IMF) says may be on the verge of a boom.

Growth will be two per cent this year, Danylyuk predicts, before accelerating to three per cent in 2018, in line with IMF forecasts.

Read more: Ukraine's central bank pulls plug on PwC bank audit rights over PrivatBank

Even with the shadow of its aggressive neighbour still casting a pall over the east of the country, Danylyuk projects a palpable confidence in his countrys prospects.

Given where Ukraine is, we can easily grow six per cent [in a year], he tells City A.M.

On the back of the expected rebound, the Ukrainian government is looking to re-enter international bond markets for the first time since 2013, potentially with an autumn issue.

The exact amount to be issued has not yet been decided, Danylyuk insists, although a figure between $500m (385m) and $1.5bn currently seems most likely.

The success or failure of reforms will be the driving force for demand for Ukrainian debt, with big changes in energy, healthcare and a new land market on the way.

Danylyuk says: All the reforms we are doing are actually aimed at making these sectors attractive to investors. We understand that internal resources are limited.

The government has already made big and sometimes domestically unpopular changes, including the removal of energy subsidies.

They are also set to introduce a requirement for pensioners to pay tax for a minimum number of years before they can draw a state pension, a move which will broaden the tax base.

Read more: Ukraine vows to "vigorously" defend itself over Russian loan

Another central plank of the changes is the fight against corruption. There is close to zero tolerance for corruption in Ukraine, says Danylyuk.

The Euromaidan revolution in 2014 which brought the current government of President Petro Poroshenko to power was driven in part by frustration with the cronyism of the previous government.

Yet Ukraine ranks 131st in Transparency Internationals Corruption Perceptions Index, level with Iran and Russia, and corruption in the private sector is much lower down the list of priorities, Danylyuk admits.

Not many people in Ukraine think about [private sector corruption] this way, he says. The corruption thing is something happening within the state, the government.

If corruption was one driver of the 2014 revolution, the other was the chance to throw off the yoke of Russian influence and move closer to Europe.

Russias response was brutal, annexing Crimea to the south and the thinly-veiled instigation of a separatist occupation in the eastern Donbas region.

The prospect of a frozen war that occasionally flares up into violence is hardly conducive to a thriving economy, and Russia is still capable of turning the screw: a trade blockade this year may have knocked a whole percentage point off annual growth.

However, Danylyuk is relatively sanguine about the Russian threat, which he characterises as an expensive artificial boost of patriotism by Vladimir Putin.

Ukraine has completely weaned itself off Russian energy imports since 2014, while recent economic growth proves the country is resilient.

There is not much they can do actually to further destabilise [Ukraine], so its a good signal, says Danylyuk. Im very optimistic.

Unsurprisingly, Danylyuk is firm that sanctions on Russia must remain in place, praising the US, France and the UK, one of the most reliable partners, for their pressure.

While pushing for the international community to ostracise Russia, the longer-term vision for his country the vision he is selling to investors is a globalised Ukraine more deeply embedded in the institutions of the West.

Its an open, vibrant economy, deeply integrated with the European Union free-trade area, but also having very extensive links with other countries, he says. It will be a totally new economy.

Read more: The problem with Ukraine and Iraq isnt Putin and Islamic State

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Ukraine is set for a new lease of life: A country at war tries to return both to normality and the bond markets - City A.M.

LJUBLJANA (Reuters) - Belarus sees no solution to the crisis between its neighbors Russia and Ukraine without another regional summit, the country's Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei said on Monday.

"I believe that for now there are no prospects for a solution to the Ukraine crisis," Makei told a joint news conference with his Slovenian counterpart Karl Erjavec during a one-day visit to Slovenia on Monday.

"To solve the crisis the Minsk agreements would have to be respected, which unfortunately is not the case today," Makei, who was speaking through an interpreter, said in reference to an agreement reached in the capital of Belarus in 2014 and 2015.

This was designed to ensure a ceasefire and long-term stability after the crisis which erupted at the start of 2014 when protesters ousted pro-Russian Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych, prompting Russia to annexe Crimea.

Makei said another meeting between Russia, Ukraine and other participants in the crisis would have to be organized in order to solve the crisis.

Reporting by Marja Novak; editing by Alexander Smith

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Belarus sees no solution to Ukraine crisis without another summit - Reuters

Tim Howard has been a staple of the U.S. Mens National Team for so long that its hard to imagine a major tournament without the bearded bouncer in frame.

Hes had historic moments, inspirational messages and phone calls with the President, but it hasnt always been this way. Before Howards rise to international stardom, there was another big man on campus Kasey Keller.

The debate has long raged as to which is the more decorated U.S. keeper, but a lead may now becoming more clear.

Howard and Kellers respective club paths have some remarkable parallels. As youths, both honed their skills in leagues close to their homes. Keller, born in Washington state in 1969, played his first season of professional ball in 1989 with the Western Soccer League side Portland Timbers. Howard, born in 1979 in North Brunswick, New Jersey, started in 1998 in MLS with the New York MetroStars (who would go on to become the New York Red Bulls).

Then, both were recruited by English clubs to take their game to the next level. Howard famously joined one of the most recognizable and profitable clubs in the world in Manchester United, whereas Keller joined the London-based club Millwall. After proving himself for four years at Millwall, Keller seized his opportunity to make it into the Premier League and was transferred to Leicester City, which had just been promoted to the top-flight league in England. In his first season with Manchester United, Howard was named to the Professional Footballers Association Team of the Year along with the likes of Thierry Henry, Frank Lampard, John Terry, Steven Gerrard and current NYCFC head coach Patrick Vieira. The award is one in which the best players in their positions from the top four flights of English football are honored, a feat which Keller was never able to accomplish.

Another area that Howard has the edge on Keller in club play is that Howard has played in the UEFA Champions League. Howard played with Manchester United in the 2003-04 competition and made it all the way to the knockout round before being ousted by the eventual champions FC Porto. The highest European international club competition that Keller has played in is the Europa Cup, which he played in once with Leicester City and twice with Rayo Vallecano in the Spanish top flight league La Liga.

Both Howard and Keller played the bulk of their careers in the best leagues in the world. Howard played the entirety of his European club career in the Premier League, heading to Everton after his time with Manchester United was finished. Keller played in arguably the best three leagues in the world: the Premier League, La Liga and eventually the top-flight German league, the Bundesliga, with Borussia Monchengladbach. However, Howard played more consistently during those times. In his 13 years he appeared in 399 games abroad, while Keller played 330 in his 12 years.

Howards teams also consistently finished in better positions than Kellers. The best season result for any of Kellers teams in the top-flight leagues in Europe was his first year with Leicester City in which the Foxes finished ninth in the Premier League. Though Howard never won the Premier League title in his time, he finished third with Manchester United twice and finished as high as fifth while with Everton. The worst finish Everton ever had with Howard in the net was the 2015-16 season in which Everton finished in 11th place.

Oh, and Howard has more goals than Keller with one (if you havent seen it, I highly suggest you check it out).

Keller wrapped up his playing career in MLS, where his biggest achievement is winning a U.S. Open Cup three-peat from 2009-11. Howard is one year in to his his second round MLS service, and in his first season led the Rapids, who finished the previous season with the worst record in MLS, to the Conference Finals, further than Keller was ever able to get in his three-year MLS stint.

On the club side, Howard has had the more illustrious career in one of the best leagues in the world, and he is still in the process of writing his MLS legacy. Keller had an amazing club career, but he didnt do enough to elevate himself above Howards status.

On the international side, Kellers stats are impressive. He has the second-most caps in U.S. Mens National Team history (behind Howard), the second most wins (again behind Howard) and the most shutouts with 47. This is the biggest stat for Keller. He has more shutouts in fewer matches with the senior USMNT, so in essence he gets shutouts at a higher rate than Howard. Does this mean hes a more effective keeper?

Lets look at the results. Keller has been on the wrong side of history during his World Cup appearances for the USMNT. He was first on the U.S. World Cup squad in 1990 as a backup to Tony Meola. After not being selected in 1994, Keller was in net for two of the teams three group games in 1998, all of which were losses. The team understandably lost to Germany in the first match, but followed that game up with a 2-1 loss to Iran. Keller was replaced for the third game by Brad Friedel, who he spent much of his career battling for the U.S. keeper position, but the U.S. lost that match 1-0 to Yugoslavia and finished last in their group.

Keller backed up Friedel for the duration of the 2002 World Cup in which the U.S. advanced all the way to the quarterfinals, but got his final opportunity on the biggest of stages in 2006. That year, however, would turn out to be a disastrous World Cup for the U.S. They finished last in their group behind Italy, Ghana and the Czech Republic. Their only result in the competition came, surprisingly, in a 1-1 tie with eventual champions Italy. Howard usurped Kellers role in 2010 and hasnt relinquished it since.

In Howards subsequent World Cups, the U.S. was never eliminated in the group stage. In 2010, Howard led the U.S. to an impressive group win over England, but the team ultimately lost their first knockout game to Ghana. In 2014, the U.S. advanced to the knockout stage in impressive fashion after being paired with tough teams. They finished second behind Germany in a group that also included Portugal and Ghana. The U.S. was again bounced in the first knockout game, this time by Belgium.

If the USMNT is able to secure a berth in the 2018 World Cup, Howard will have an opportunity to cement his status as the best goalkeeper the U.S. has ever produced. His accolades from the Premier League, MLS and the USMNT all speak for themselves, and though Keller should be thought of as one the the best the U.S. has ever fielded, Howard clearly has the superior track record. If you havent been out to Dicks Sporting Goods Park to witness him play live, do yourself a favor. A generational talent like his does not come very often.

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Who's the most decorated US keeper: Tim Howard or Kasey Keller? - Mile High Sports