KIEV, Feb. 10 – The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has said it is "cautiously optimistic" about an upcoming Normandy format summit, which is expected to take place in Minsk, the capital of Belarus, on February 11.

MOSCOW, Feb. 10 – Moscow will respond negatively to Kiev's request seeking the arrest and extradition of former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych and his supporters, Russian Prosecutor General Yury Chaika told Interfax on Tuesday.

KIEV, Feb. 10 – A Turkish court has decided to arrest a Ukrainian citizen who tried to force the crew of a Pegasus Airlines plane, en route from Kharkiv to Istanbul on February 7, to divert the aircraft to Sochi, where the Olympic Games are taking place, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry reported.

KIEV, Feb. 10 – The National Bank of Ukraine has restricted the sale of foreign currency to individuals who plan to send it abroad to UAH 50,000 a month per individual.

The restriction is stipulated in NBU resolution No. 49, a copy of which has been sent to Interfax-Ukraine.

SOCHI, Russia, Feb. 10 - Moscow is making the release of the second tranche of a loan for Ukraine that was agreed in December conditional on the country's payment of arrears for Russian natural gas, according to the Russian finance minister.

KIEV, Feb. 10 - Ukraine's central bank offered to buy dollars on the interbank market on Monday after imposing new capital controls on Friday in a bid to bolster the hryvnia.

BRUSSELS, Feb. 10 - In a sharp rebuke to President Viktor Yanukovych, the European Union on Monday called for the formation of a new, inclusive government for Ukraine and constitutional reforms that would pave the way to "free and fair presidential elections."

KIEV, Feb. 10 - President Viktor Yanukovych will answer questions from TV viewers in a new television program, "The Dialog with the Country," on the First National TV Channel on February 22.

KIEV, Feb. 8 – Two independent lawmakers on Friday were stripped of their status by a court ruling amid speculation the move was orchestrated by President Viktor Yanukovych, who has been seeking to reassert control over a majority in Parliament.

KIEV, Feb. 10 – Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko insists on recounting ballots at more than 900 polling stations throughout Ukraine as part of a plan to contest the presidential election, the chief of her campaign said Wednesday.