KIEV, Aug. 31 – The investigation of the missing journalist Vasyl Klymentyev must be conducted by Prosecutor General’s Office, not by police, whose members are suspected of involvement, a Kiev media organization said Tuesday.

KIEV, Aug. 31 – President Viktor Yanukovych on Tuesday urged the government to investigate the rapid increase in food prices in Ukraine, adding that measures must be taken to ease inflation.

KIEV, Aug. 31 – The International Monetary Fund may end its cooperation with Ukraine if the Ukrainian government groundlessly boosts a state budget deficit and shatters the economic situation in the country, according to IMF Resident Representative in Ukraine Max Alier.

KIEV, Aug. 31 – Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko and her Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Tuesday will discuss an undisclosed loan that may cover imports of natural gas to Ukraine, a Russian official said Monday.

“A lot of issues will be discussed at the meeting, including gas problems, of course,” Yuriy Ushakov, a deputy head of the secretariat at the Russian government, said, according to Interfax-Ukraine.

KIEV, Aug. 31 – The pro-government coalition is heading for a showdown with the largest opposition group in Parliament on Tuesday over the group’s demands to steeply increase minimum wages and pensions next year.

KIEV, Aug. 28 – The International Monetary Fund has transferred SDR 1.017 billion ($1.59 billion) to Ukraine as part of allocating 161.18 billion special drawing rights (SDR) (around $252.08 billion at the current exchange rate), the fund said.

KIEV, Aug. 29 – Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko supports some proposals by metals and mining companies to stabilize the situation in the sector, including cutting rail cargo tariffs, decreasing the prices of coking coal and iron ore, and cutting or temporarily suspending the 12% extra charge on natural gas.

KIEV, Aug. 29 – President Viktor Yushchenko will ask the government to earmark at least 5 billion hryvnias, or about $1 billion, to purchase new kinds of arms in 2009, a top official said Friday.

KIEV, Aug. 31 – Russia’s use of force to defend its citizens abroad - the argument used to justify the invasion into Georgia earlier this month - will now be a cornerstone of its foreign policy, the country’s leader said.

WARSAW, Aug. 29 - Poland supports Ukraine's aspirations to join the European Union and NATO, Polish Foreign Affairs Minister Anna Fotyga said on Tuesday, following a meeting with Fotyga's Ukrainian counterpart, Borys Tarasiuk.