KIEV, Feb. 5 - Deputy Chairman of Parliament's fuel and energy committee and ex-Fuel and Energy Minister Yuriy Boyko has accused Naftogaz Ukrayiny of siphoning 2 billion cubic meters of gas from the gas-transportation system in January.

KIEV, Feb. 6 - Ukrainian-EU talks on the creation of a free-trade zone will take about a year, Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko said at a meeting with students of the Kiev National Economic University on Wednesday.

After Ukraine joins the WTO, the talks on the creation of a Ukrainian-EU free trade zone will begin, the president said.

KIEV, Feb. 6 – Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko on Wednesday attacked Viktor Yanukovych, the leader of the opposition, for his switching positions over NATO, as a standoff in Parliament over the accession to the alliance deepened.

KIEV, Feb. 6 – Tensions between President Viktor Yushchenko and Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko rose sharply on Wednesday after the government moved to replace the head of the country’s privatization agency through a controversial procedure.

KIEV, Feb. 6 ??“ Ukraine will seek to start talks on a free trade agreement with the European Union even before joining the World Trade Organization, Acting Foreign Minister Volodymyr Ohryzko said Tuesday.

KIEV, Feb. 6 ??“ Ukrainian lawmakers voted overwhelmingly on Tuesday to approve legislation that would prevent a potential merger of the country??™s natural gas pipelines with gas producing assets in Russia.

KIEV, Feb. 6 ??“ The National Bank of Ukraine spent about $940 mln to prop up the hryvnia against the U.S. dollar in January as demand for hard currency had accelerated, the NBU said Monday.

KIEV, Feb. 6 ??“ Ukraine was forced to accept a controversial natural gas deal last month due to Russian-Turkmen pact that had left the country virtually with no gas supplies starting in 2007, a top industry analyst said.

KIEV, Feb. 6 ??“ Russia and Ukraine have made little progress on signing a natural gas agreement between the two governments putting the sensitive issue on hold indefinitely, Prime Minister Yuriy Yekhanurov said. The development may be a sign that Russia has been refusing to guarantee steady natural gas prices for Ukraine

KIEV, Feb. 6 ??“ Golden Telecom Ltd., one of the leading integrated telecommunication services providers in Ukraine, will appeal against a decision by the State Tax Administration on VAT on payments to the Pension Fund, a company spokesperson said.