President Petro Poroshenko said on Wednesday more than 9,000 Russian troops were backing Ukrainian separatist fighters that Moscow will be under pressure to reel in at high-stakes peace talks in Berlin.

Financial markets have been obsessing for months about the timing, size and structure of a European Central Bank bond-buying programme that seems likely to be unveiled today.

China's Premier Li Keqiang sought Wednesday to allay fears over the Asian giant's growth outlook, telling business and government elites gathered in Davos that the economy is not heading for a sharp slowdown.