KIEV, Dec. 23 – President Viktor Yushchenko Wednesday urged the government to unlock financing of the upcoming presidential election after the Central Election Commission complained less than 1% of the money has so far been allocated.

KIEV, Dec. 23 – Talks between Ukraine and the International Monetary Fund over $2 billion in emergency lending collapsed after the government failed to approve its 2010 budget, officials said Wednesday.

KIEV, Dec. 23 - Ukraine is not involved in the transportation of the weapons found on board the plane detained in Thailand, President Viktor Yuschenko's press service said in a statement.

"The results of the inquiry conducted at the request of the Ukrainian president point to a lack of evidence of possible involvement by Ukraine and Ukrainian companies in the supposedly illegal arms deal.

KIEV, Dec. 23 – While a radical improvement of the state of Ukraine's balance of payment was not seen in November, the rise in the deficit of the current and financial account slowed against October’s, Valeriy Lytvytsky, the head of the group of advisors to the NBU governor, told Interfax-Ukraine.

KIEV, Dec. 23 – President Viktor Yushchenko said Tuesday that a grand coalition, involving lawmakers from all political groups except the Communist Party, would be the best response to the escalating economic crisis.

KIEV, Dec. 23 – Ukraine’s local currency, the hryvnia, which has been experiencing the worst speculative attack in its 13-year history, will stabilize against the U.S. dollar within the next seven days, President Viktor Yushchenko said Tuesday.

KIEV, Dec. 23 – Ukraine may face new economic challenges, including difficulties in paying foreign debt, with the approval of the 2009 budget draft proposed by Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, President Viktor Yushchenko warned Tuesday.

MOSCOW/KIEV, Dec. 22 – The level of risk compensation on Ukraine's debt is fourth in the world after Ecuador, Argentina and Venezuela, according to credit default swap quotations cited by the Bloomberg agency.

KIEV, Dec. 23 - NATO has extended the lease of Ukrainian and Russian Antonov An-124-100 Ruslan heavy transportation aircraft with a weight-lift capacity of 120 tons under NATO's Strategic Airlift Interim Solution (SALIS) program in the interests of 18 NATO and EU countries.

KIEV, Dec. 20 – Stock market investors hope for more transparent privatization processes and passage of laws protecting investor rights with the appointment of Yulia Tymoshenko as prime minister, according to analysts polled by Interfax-Ukraine.