KIEV, Feb. 22 – A European Commission final report on the visa-free regime with Ukraine confirms that Ukraine has taken all the necessary steps to introduce visa-free travels with the European Union, Prime Minister Arseniy Yatseniuk has said.

KIEV, Feb. 23 - Germany and France on Tuesday urged Ukraine to root out corruption and quickly adopt a law on elections in the pro-Russian east that may help end the region's separatist war, AFP reported.

KIEV, Feb. 23 – Ukraine has closed 23 border crossing points on the border with Russia, including one international, four interstate and 18 local border crossing points, the State Border Service reported.

KIEV, Feb. 23 – Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has pledged to return Crimea to Ukrainian control.

"The Ukrainian state will regain control over this temporarily occupied territory. I am not saying that this will be a simple thing to do which we will go through quickly.

KIEV, Feb. 23 - The International Basketball Federation (FIBA) says it did not allow Crimean basketball clubs to join the Russian championships, the Ukrainian Basketball Federation reports.

MOSCOW, Feb. 23 – Kiev's ban on parts supplies to Russia will not affect the implementation of the governmental programs to re-arm the Russian army, an informed source from the Military-Industrial Commission (MIC) told Interfax-AVN.

KIEV, Feb. 23 – President Petro Poroshenko and Slovakian President Andrej Kiska had a meeting in Kiev on Sunday after a march to commemorate the protestors killed during the Maidan revolution last year, and President Poroshenko subsequently invited his counterpart to return to Ukraine later in the year.

KIEV, Feb. 24 – Prime Minister Arseniy Yatseniuk has announced that an official inquiry into State Fiscal Service officials has been launched.

"Ukraine's government suspends the State Fiscal Service leadership for the period of the official investigation," the Prime Minister said, during a meeting with the service on Tuesday.

PARIS, Feb. 24 - Talks about a fragile peace deal for Ukraine ended in tension Tuesday, with differences over who is at fault over continued violence despite a cease-fire, the AP reported.

LONDON, Feb. 21 - “It is likely that Ukraine will default in the absence of significantly favorable changes in circumstances, which we do not anticipate,“ Standard &Poor's ratings agency said, adding that “the political situation in Ukraine has deteriorated substantially."