KIEV, May 23 – President Viktor Yanukovych has urged the government and Parliament to speed up the adoption of the law introducing luxury tax.

KIEV, May 24 – Amnesty International, a non-governmental organization focused on human rights, has stated that a culture of impunity for the police continues existing in Ukraine and the charges against former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko were politically motivated.

KIEV, May 24 - President Viktor Yanukovych, at a meeting with Alexei Miller, the CEO of Russian natural gas giant Gazprom, said the 2009 gas agreement with Russia was “not correct” and must be changed.

KIEV, May 24 – Ukrainian authorities briefly detained opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko on Tuesday, sparking a wave of international concerns and diplomatic activity, while also raising questions the move may have been politically motivated.

KIEV, May 23 - Non-governmental agricultural organizations have asked the Ukrainian president to veto a law on the introduction of grain export duties.

The Ukrainian Agrarian Confederation (UAC) reported on Monday that the address was sent to the head of state on May 20, 2011.

KIEV, May 23 – Prime Minister Mykola Azarov has noted the importance of concluding agreements on free trade areas with the European Union and with the Customs Union of Belarus, Russia and Kazakhstan.

KIEV, May 21 – The International Monetary Fund doubts the Ukrainian government can hit its national budget revenue collection target, Deputy Prime Minister Sergiy Tyhypko said at a meeting of members of the Council of Entrepreneurs in Kyiv on Friday.

KIEV, May 21 - Foreign Minister Kostiantyn Hryshchenko on Friday assured lawmakers that the government will not agree to merge assets of Naftogaz Ukrayiny and Gazprom of Russia.

KIEV, May 24 – President Viktor Yanukovych said he plans to hold a meeting with opposition groups within days to see if legislation can be approved that would allow scheduling of local elections in the fall.

KHABAROVSK, May 22 - Russia cannot provide guarantees to Europe that there will not be any more gas stoppages through the fault of Ukraine in the future, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said.