MOSCOW, Dec. 25 - It is not in Ukraine's long-term interest to drag out negotiations for Russia's membership in the World Trade Organization if the country itself also wants to make a quick accession to the organization, said Maxim Medvedkov, head of the Russian delegation in negotiations for WTO accession and director of the trade negotiation department of the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade.

KIEV, Dec. 26 - Ukraine has yet to cooperate with the European Union on the principles of reciprocity, but rather their relations are based on "proportional reciprocity," Ukrainian speaker and former Ukrainian Foreign Minister Arseniy Yatseniuk said.

RIVNE, Dec. 26 ??“ Parliament Speaker Oleksandr Moroz said Tuesday that Ukraine has great prospects in developing nuclear power sector.

KIEV, Dec. 27 ??“ President Viktor Yushchenko signed the law on the ratification of an agreement between Ukraine and the International Bank for the Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) on Ukraine's loan to realize a project to expand the access to the finance services market.

KIEV, Dec. 26 ??“ The government on reported a big budget surplus in November after the receiving proceeds from Ukraine??™s placement of Eurobonds and other borrowing, the Economy Ministry reported.

KIEV, Dec. 27 ??“ The Socialist Party, a member of the government coalition, on Wednesday attacked the Prosecutor General??™s Office by calling for the dismissal of two top law enforcement officials alleged to be manipulating key investigations.

MOSCOW, Dec. 27 ??“ Gazprom, Russia??™s state-controlled gas giant, warned on Wednesday that its escalating natural gas price dispute with Belarus could disrupt supplies to Poland, Germany and Lithuania.

KIEV, Dec. 27 - The Ukrainian currency, the hryvnia, may face significant downward pressure next year if Russia moves to steeply boost natural gas prices, a senior official at the National Bank of Ukraine said Tuesday.

MOSCOW, Dec. 27 - Russia may agree to increase annual payments for obtaining information from two huge Ukrainian radars that provide early warning of any missile launches across Europe, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said Tuesday.

KIEV, Dec. 27 - President Viktor Yushchenko phoned his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Tuesday to discuss the escalating natural gas dispute as both countries refused to make any concessions four days before the deadline.