KIEV, March 2 – Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs Pavlo Klimkin and Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida at a meeting in Tokyo have discussed a number of issues of bilateral and multilateral cooperation, the continuation of a political dialogue between the two countries and Japan's support to Ukraine.

KIEV, March 2 – The United Nations said that during January and early February the security and human rights situation in eastern Ukraine dramatically deteriorated.

KIEV, March 3 – Parliament has cut pensions to employed retirees by 15% through January 1, 2016.

A total of 238 lawmakers supported the relative bill at the parliamentary session on Monday. The bill was endorsed at the fifth attempt.

KIEV, March 3 - Ukrainian authorities are taking decisive steps to stabilize the hryvnia exchange rate, President Petro Poroshenko told journalists.

"We are taking decisive steps to allocate additional resources and return the hryvnia exchange rate to UAH 20-22 per $1. I am confident we should not allow any panic in exchange offices or banks," Poroshenko said.

MOSCOW, March 4 - The conflict in southeastern Ukraine may lead to the existence of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics as independent states, such as Transdniestria, Abkhazia and South Ossetia, 38% of 1,600 Russians polled in 134 populated localities in 46 regions on February 20-23, reported sociologists.

KIEV, March 4 - Pro-Russian separatists on Wednesday rejected an offer of help from Ukrainian rescue teams after a major coal mining accident in the area killed 33 coalminers.

WASHINGTON, March 4 - The International Monetary Fund and Group of Seven leading economic powers on Wednesday praised the Ukrainian government's determination to reform the economy against all odds, with the G7 saying Kiev's new draft budget should put it on track for an IMF-led bailout, Reuters reported.

DONETSK, March 4 - More than 1,000 demonstrators with Ukrainian flags took to the streets of the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk on Tuesday, for the first time outnumbering pro-Moscow youths who have seized its government building, which flies the Russian flag, Reuters reported.

WASHINGTON, March 4 - Ukraine would be able to borrow more money in the midst of its current crisis if U.S. lawmakers sign off on a measure to increase the International Monetary Fund's financial power, Reuters reported Tuesday, citing U.S. officials.

The IMF legislation would double the fund's resources and give countries in crisis, such as Ukraine, access to a bigger pool of potential aid.

KIEV, March 4 - Ukraine's telecommunications system has come under attack, with equipment installed in Russian-controlled Crimea used to interfere with the mobile phones of members of parliament, the head of Ukraine's SBU security service said on Tuesday.