KIEV, Dec. 24 – Hammering out a joint, concerted approach on the forming of volume and tools for external financial assistance is a top priority for Ukraine now, while debt restructuring is not on the agenda today, First Deputy Finance Minister Ihor Umansky said.

KIEV, Dec. 25 – Ukraine's parliament has passed a law to extend the powers of the National Security and Defense Council and its secretary.

The law was supported by 253 MPs.

Parliament ordered its committees to improve the bill on December 23. A total of 302 deputies voted for that decision.

NEW YORK (UN), Dec. 25 – Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, has urged the warring sides in eastern Ukraine to take positive steps to help resolve their conflict.

"Again, we would urge both parties involved to focus on positive steps and recommit themselves to a political solution," he said at a press briefing on Wednesday, answering a question about the total cutoff of power supply from Ukraine alleged by the Crimean authorities.

MOSCOW, Dec. 25 - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Ukraine's pursuit of NATO membership posed a danger to European security and that the West was using Kiev's bid to join the Atlantic alliance as a way to fuel confrontation between Russia and Ukraine, Reuters reported.

KIEV, Dec. 25 - Ukraine's parliament gave preliminary approval on Thursday to a law that would simplify tax legislation and impose additional duties on imports, in an effort to raise revenue amid economic crisis, Reuters reported.

KIEV, Dec. 24 – Fares for public transport of Kiev are most likely to rise starting February 1, 2014, Anatoliy Holubchenko, acting head of Kiev City State Administration reported.

KIEV, Dec. 26 – The government may use some of the funds received from the collection of the ecological tax for recycling of used cars to subsidize the price of new Ukrainian-made cars if they are exchanged for used cars, Prime Minister Mykola Azarov said.

KIEV, Dec. 26 - Ukraine expects a $15 billion bailout package from Russia to be fully disbursed in early 2014, Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov said on Wednesday after Kiev received the first $3 billion tranche, Reuters reported.

KIEV, Dec. 26 – Tetiana Chornovol, an anti-government protest activist who survived a ferocious attack by three assailants on Tuesday, said Thursday she was about to report on a previously unknown lavish mansion allegedly owned by President Viktor Yanukovych.

KIEV, Dec. 25 – The newly created State Service for Emergency Situations is subordinate to the Defense Ministry, President Viktor Yanukovych said.