MOSCOW, March 5 – President Viktor Yanukovych on Friday pledged to change Ukraine’s foreign policy course towards greater cooperation with Russia in hopes of easing years of tension and boosting mutual trade.

KIEV, March 8 – Two groups in Parliament vowed to take extreme measures – up to blocking the work of Parliament – if President Viktor Yanukovych’s Regions Party goes ahead with controversial legislation allowing formation of a minority government.

NEW YORK, March 8 ??“ Leading U.S. policy experts slammed Russia for becoming less democratic and more aggressive towards its neighbors, and urged the U.S. government for a tougher response before it is too late.

KIEV, March 7 ??“ TransDnistria, Moldova??™s breakaway republic, said Tuesday it is pulling out from crucial multilateral talks over peaceful settlement of the conflict in response to Ukraine??™s recent decision to stop unauthorized trade.

NEW YORK, March 8 ??“ The U.S. House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly Wednesday to establish permanent normal trade relations with Ukraine by repealing Jackson-Vanik provision that had been imposed 32 years ago during the Cold War.

KIEV, March 7 - The head of an American company expressed hope for government and parliamentary approval for a planned storage facility for spent nuclear fuel, saying it would ease Ukraine's reliance on Russia.

KIEV, March 7 ??“ The Ukrainian government is to announce within two weeks a new tender for licenses to extract oil and gas from the Black Sea off-shore areas, Prime Minister Yuriy Yekhanurov has said.

KIEV, March 3 - President Viktor Yushchenko on Thursday replaced Yuriy Boyko with Oleksiy Ivchenko as chairman of Naftogaz Ukrayiny, the state energy giant, installing a loyalist in charge of the country??™s biggest corporate taxpayer.

KIEV, March 3 ??“ Ukraine??™s domestic debt rose 4.5% in January after the government increased borrowing to bridge its financing gap early this year, the Finance Ministry reported Thursday.

KIEV, March 4 ??“ Yuriy Kravchenko, a close ally of former President Leonid Kuchma, was found dead Friday morning hours before his scheduled questioning by prosecutors investigating the murder of journalist Heorhiy Gongadze.