KIEV, Dec. 11 ??“ Yulia Tymoshenko and Yuriy Lutsenko, two popular opposition leaders, met over the weekend for talks to see if they could join forces at the next general election.

KIEV, Dec. 11 ??“ Valeriy Khoroshkovskiy, the owner of a 61% stake in Inter Television, Ukraine??™s most popular network, accepted a job to advise President Viktor Yushchenko on strategic issues.

KIEV, Dec. 11 ??“ President Viktor Yushchenko on Monday vetoed the government??™s 2007 budget hours after it was submitted by Parliament, a move that may trigger a serious political crisis in Ukraine.

KIEV, Dec. 10 - Vitaliy Klichko, Ukraine??™s world heavyweight champion, will lead a bloc of liberal and youth parties for election to Parliament in March 2006, party members said Saturday. Klichko was also likely to run for the Kiev Mayor Office, sources said.

KIEV, Dec. 11 - President Viktor Yushchenko has been considering whether to reappoint Oleksiy Ivchenko as the head of Naftogaz Ukrayiny, the state oil and gas company, Anatoliy Kinakh, Yushchenko's security advisor, said Sunday.

KIEV, Dec. 9 - Ukraine and Russia, deadlocked for nine months in a natural gas dispute, were drifting towards a political clash after officials suggested the dispute may affect stationing of Russian troops in Ukraine.

KIEV, Dec. 9 ??“ Odessa city council has chosen Kharkiv-based UkrSibbank to manage its second issue of bonds worth UAH150 mln, the council has announced.

KIEV, Dec. 9 ??“ The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development expects to sign agreements on investing ?500 mln in Ukraine next year, EBRD Country Director for Ukraine Kamen Zahariev told Interfax-Ukraine.

KYIV, Nov 9 – The Verkhovna Rada adopted the state budget for 2024 with a deficit of UAH 1.57 trillion, or 20.6% of projected GDP, which is significantly less than the state budget for 2023 - UAH 2.01 billion, or 31.1% of projected GDP.

BRUSSELS, Nov 9 – The European Parliament is worried about Russia's ability to bypass international sanctions and wants a full closure of the EU market to Russian fossil fuels and that frozen Russian assets be used to fund reconstruction in Ukraine.