KIEV, Oct. 26 – A senior opposition lawmaker on Wednesday attacked the government for last week’s signing of a free trade agreement with Russia and other CIS nations that he says contains too many trade restrictions.

KIEV, Oct. 26 – The Cabinet of Ministers is drafting a range of Ukrainian-Russian agreements for the signing during the visit of Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin to Kiev on October 27, Minister of the Cabinet of Ministers Anatoliy Tolstoukhov said on Tuesday.

KIEV, Oct. 26 - President Viktor Yanukovych assured foreign diplomats and election monitors on Tuesday that upcoming local elections on Oct. 31 will be carried out in democratic fashion.

KIEV, Oct. 26 - Euro Finance Ltd., which was created in 2004 by Switzerland's EuroSteel Holdings AG and which owns some companies working in the iron-and-steel scrap business in Ukraine, will postpone the completion of the building and launch of a mini steel mill located near Bila Tserkva (Kiev region) for one year – until 2013.

KIEV, Oct. 26 – Opposition leader Viktor Yanukovych, the frontrunner ahead of the next presidential election, on Monday said his plan of pulling economy out of recession includes sweeping tax cuts and attracting foreign investments.

KIEV, Oct. 26 – The government’s poor budget and fiscal policies have resulted in a “colossal” debt burden on Ukraine that will have a serious impact next year, President Viktor Yushchenko said on Monday.

MOSCOW, Oct. 23 – The row between the presidents of Russia and Ukraine Dmitry Medvedev and Viktor Yushchenko, who exchanged angry statements in August, is over, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Petro Poroshenko believes.

KIEV, Oct. 23 - NATO has a dual opinion of the changes observed in cooperation with Ukraine over the past year, according to a top alliance official.

In terms of the technical and legal aspects of cooperation, and security issues, a high grade could be given, but regarding resources, the grade is very low, said Robert Simmons, the NATO secretary general's Special Representative for South Caucasus and Central Asia.

LONDON, Oct. 24 – Expressing a lack of confidence that Ukraine’s political leaders will form a consensus over economic policies, Standard & Poor's Ratings Services has lowered its long-term foreign currency sovereign credit ratings on Ukraine to 'B' from 'B+', and its local currency ratings to 'B+' from 'BB-.’

KIEV, Oct. 24 – President Viktor Yushchenko is to make an official visit to Turkey on Oct. 27-28 to discuss bilateral cooperation, regional and international security and interaction within intergovernmental organizations.