KIEV, July 7 – President Viktor Yanukovych will seek to strengthen his powers dramatically by amending the constitution, perhaps as soon as this year, Serhiy Liovochkin, his chief of staff, said Wednesday.

KIEV, July 7 - U.S. President Barack Obama told Russian leaders in Moscow on Tuesday that sovereignty of other nations, including Georgia and Ukraine, must be respected to maintain international order and to avoid “anarchy.”

KIEV, July 6 – Ukraine should create one independent, privately owned depositary through the merger of the Interregional Stock Union and the All-Ukrainian Securities Depositary with the participation of the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU), a USAID official said.

KIEV, July 6 – The Regions Party's calls to increase the minimum wage and the living wage could result in the long-lasting blockage of Parliament, Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko said.

"These [calls] is pure provocation to prevent Parliament from working until the presidential election” in January 2010, Tymoshenko said.

KIEV, July 7 - Ukraine plans to switch its fossil-burning power generation plants towards using domestically extracted coal instead of relying on expensive imported natural gas, Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko said Monday.

Tymoshenko, who said the plan would help Ukraine to reduce its dependence on imports of gas from Russia, said the government was ready to step up financing of the coal sector to reach the goal.

KIEV, July 7 - Ukraine should use its own resources to develop a natural gas and crude oil offshore field in the Black Sea, Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko said Monday.

KIEV, July 7 – Ukraine’s consumer inflation slowed down in June after the government suspended its controversial depositor bailout plan, while the central bank kept the country’s money supply under control.

KIEV, July 7 ??“ Ukraine on Thursday made a second bold step towards joining the World Trade Organization by the end of the year after lawmakers approved a bill easing agriculture and farming imports.

KIEV, July 6 ??“ President Viktor Yushchenko asked Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko Wednesday to ease pressure on Naftogaz Ukrayiny, the national oil and gas company, which is involved in difficult talks with Russian gas giant Gazprom.

KIEV, July 6 ??“ President Viktor Yushchenko and Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko will step up pressure on the Socialist Party Thursday seeking its support for approval of bills required for accession to the World Trade Organization.