BRUSSELS, March 21 - The European Commission has stated that the condition set by Russia for Ukraine to create a consortium on the Ukrainian gas transport system – withdrawal from the Energy Community – will jeopardize Ukraine's sovereign interests in energy security.

KIEV, March 21 - Ukrainian citizens are almost evenly divided over the prospects for joining the Customs Union formed by Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan and signing an Association Agreement with the European Union.

KIEV, March 23 – President Viktor Yanukovych assured his Polish and Hungarian counterparts on Friday that it is Ukraine’s foreign policy priority to achieve closer integration with the European Union.

KIEV, March 24 – A state of emergency was declared in parts of Ukraine over the weekend after the country was hit with the heaviest snowfall in more than 100 years, effectively paralyzing its transportation infrastructure.

KIEV, March 24 – Parliamentary Speaker Volodymyr Lytvyn admitted Thursday he has come under attack for his alleged role in the murder of journalist Heorhiy Gongadze in 2000 as former President Leonid Kuchma was formally charged.

KIEV, March 24 – The European People’s Party, one of Europe’s most powerful political groups, warned Ukraine on Thursday that progress in talks over closer ties and free trade will depend on the level of democracy in the country.

KIEV, March 24 – The practical realization of a law on amendments to the banking laws (No. 3024-VI) signed by the Ukrainian president will increase the transparency of the structure of owners of credit and financial institutions, which would promote the improvement of the reliability of the country's banking system, according to Serhiy Arbuzov, governor of the National Bank of Ukraine.

KIEV, March 22 – A program of economic reforms in Ukraine should be drafted within two months, President Viktor Yanukovych said.

"The first program of economic reforms should be drafted no later than in 60 days," he said at a meeting of the committee for economic reforms in Kiev on Monday.

BRUSSELS, March 23 – The European Union has emphasized that it will render concrete and overall assistance to Ukraine "in return for implementing internal reforms."

KIEV, March 24 – Ukraine will have to cut its 2010 budget deficit to 6% of GDP among other conditions to win resumption of lending from the International Monetary Fund, a senior Ukrainian official said Wednesday.