KIEV, Feb. 22 – Ukraine's guaranteed state debt grew by $2.62 billion, to $14.5 billion, in December primarily due to the country's obtaining a $1.5 billion loan from the Export-Import Bank of China, the Finance Ministry reported.

BRUSSELS, Feb. 22 – European Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighborhood Policy Stefan Fule has welcomed a statement on Ukraine's European aspirations passed by Parliament on Friday.

KIEV, Feb. 22 – Italy's Torno Global Contracting SPA and Beta Funding SRL have appealed to the International Chamber of Commerce (Paris) asking it to investigate the situation in their business relations with Ukraine's Transport and Communications Ministry and Ukravtodor, according to the prospectus of the issue of Ukrainian eurobonds.

KIEV, Feb. 22 – All 19 municipalities through which the Brody-Plock oil pipeline will pass have taken into account its route in local land use and construction plans, Poland's Sarmatia Sp. z o.o. reported.

ODESSA, Feb. 25 - Two new sports palaces and one renovated and a rebuilt one will operate in Odessa region ahead of the EuroBasket 2015 European Basketball Championship, Odessa Regional State Administration Chairman Eduard Matviychuk said at a meeting on preparations for holding the championship in Odessa.

KIEV, Feb. 24 – The National Space Agency of Ukraine (NSAU) and the German Aerospace Center (DLR) have confirmed their mutual interest in the development of cooperation in the sphere of data exchange on remote Earth-sensing, primarily in crisis situations.

KIEV, Feb. 24 – The government has allocated UAH 175 million to tackle possible floods in the country this spring, Emergencies Minister Volodymyr Shandra said.

"The government took two decisions today. One concerns the fight against possible floods in Ukraine. In particular, we have formed a government commission headed by First Deputy Prime Minister Oleksandr Turchynov, which includes all ministers from concerned ministries who will be involved in flood prevention efforts.

KIEV, Feb. 24 - Standard & Poor's forecasts the Ukrainian economy will grow 3.5% in 2010 and 4% in 2011.

The agency said in a special report on the banking sectors of Russia, Kazakhstan and Ukraine that it expected inflation in Ukraine to be 13% this year before slowing to 9% in 2011.

KIEV, Feb. 23 – The Federation of Ukrainian Trade Unions (FUTU) will decide on the possible start of protests no earlier than two weeks after holding "conciliatory" negotiations with the Cabinet of Ministers, said Vasyl Khara, FUTU head and Regions Party MP.

KIEV, Feb. 24 - The forecast wholesale electricity market price on the Wholesale Electricity Market of Ukraine from March 1, 2009, will not change compared to the price set for January, and will be UAH 395.17 per megawatt-hour (not including VAT), the NERC has told Interfax-Ukraine.