World News Roundup: U.S. made 11 attempts to negotiate with Iran; EU should sanction Iran over missile tests, US says; Brexit debate

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Russian threat highest since 2014: Ukraine military chief

Russia has been ramping up its forces near the border with Ukraine since August and now poses the greatest military threat since 2014, the year Moscow annexed Crimea, the commander of Ukraine's armed forces told Reuters in an interview on Tuesday. General Viktor Muzhenko gestured to a series of satellite images which he said showed the presence of Russian T-62 M tanks stationed 18 km (11 miles) from the Ukrainian border.

Macron makes U-turn on fuel-tax increases in face of 'yellow vest' protests

France's prime minister on Tuesday suspended planned increases to fuel taxes for at least six months in response to weeks of sometimes violent protests, the first major U-turn by President Emmanuel Macron's administration in 18 months in office. In announcing the decision, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said anyone would have "to be deaf or blind" not to see or hear the roiling anger on the streets over a policy that Macron has defended as critical to combating climate change.

Explainer: South Korea's unique Unification Ministry has thorny task of handling ties with North

South Korea's Unification Ministry, responsible for inter-Korean affairs, has seen its standing wax and wane along with relations between the still officially warring neighbors. The ministry returned to prominence this year after three summits between South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ended with pledges to defuse military tensions, restart economic cooperation and formally end the 1950-53 Korean War.

U.S. made 11 attempts to negotiate with Iran in last two years: Iran president

The United States has made 11 attempts to begin negotiations with Iran in the last two years, all rejected by Tehran, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani was quoted as saying on Tuesday. Tensions have escalated between the two countries after U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew from a multilateral nuclear agreement with Iran in May and reimposed sanctions in a bid to curb the Islamic Republic's missile program and regional influence.

EU should sanction Iran over missile tests, U.S. says

The United States is pressing the European Union to consider economic sanctions on Iran over its ballistic missiles, a senior U.S. official said on Tuesday, warning of a wider regional conflict if Tehran's ambitions remain unchecked. Iran's test of a ballistic missile this month alarmed the West and France called it a destabilizing act, but the EU is focused on protecting the 2015 international nuclear deal with Iran that U.S. President Donald Trump pulled out of in May.

Growing split in Seoul over North Korea threatens Korea detente, nuclear talks

When Seoul was preparing to open a liaison office in the North Korean city of Kaesong this summer after a decade of virtually no contact with its longtime enemy, South Korean officials had heated debates over whether they should seek approval from Washington. Some top aides to President Moon Jae-in stressed it was an issue for the two Koreas alone and there was no need to involve their U.S. ally, two people with knowledge of the situation told Reuters.

Afghan security forces' deaths unsustainable: U.S. military official

The Pentagon's pick for the next commander of U.S. Central Command said on Tuesday the high casualty rate of Afghan security forces would not be sustainable even with the stalemate in the fight against Taliban militants. "Their losses have been very high. They are fighting hard, but their losses are not going to be sustainable unless we correct this problem," Lieutenant General Kenneth McKenzie said during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing.

U.S. gives Russia 60 days to comply with nuclear treaty

The United States delivered Russia a 60-day ultimatum on Tuesday to come clean about what Washington says is a violation of a arms control treaty that keeps missiles out of Europe, saying only Moscow could save the pact. NATO allies led by Germany pressed U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo at a meeting in Brussels to give diplomacy a final push before Washington pulls out of the 1987 Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty, fearing a new arms race in Europe.

British PM suffers setbacks as Brexit debate starts in parliament

British Prime Minister Theresa May suffered embarrassing defeats on Tuesday at the start of five days of debate over her plans to leave the European Union that could determine the future of Brexit and the fate of her government. May wants to secure parliament's approval for her deal to keep close ties with the EU after leaving in March, but opposition is fierce, with Brexit supporters and opponents alike wanting to thwart or derail her plan.

Brexit campaigner Nigel Farage quits UK Independence Party

Brexit campaigner Nigel Farage said on Tuesday he was leaving the United Kingdom Independence Party which he used to pressure the ruling Conservative Party into gambling on a Brexit referendum. Farage, as UKIP leader, put pressure on former Prime Minister David Cameron to promise an EU referendum and then helped lead the successful campaign to leave the bloc.

(With inputs from Reuters)