KIEV, March 22 – The National Bank of Ukraine has amended legal acts to ensure a decision by the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine to sanction Ukrainian-based banks with Russian state capital, respective NBU resolution No. 25 dated March 21 is to become effective from March 23.

KIEV, March 22 - The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) on March 22 opened the new four-year program "Financial Sector Transformation" worth $23 million in Kiev.

KIEV, March 22 – Parliament has ratified an agreement between the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine and the government of the Kingdom of Norway on technical and financial cooperation. Some 233 people's deputies voted for relevant law No. 0127 on Wednesday.

KIEV, March 22 - If presidential elections were held in Ukraine next Sunday, President Petro Poroshenko would come in first, and Batkivschyna party leader Yulia Tymoshenko second, as seen from a public opinion poll of 2,021 respondents aged 18 or older conducted by the Razumkov Center sociological service on February 19-24.

KIEV, March 23 – President Petro Poroshenko has signed a decree authorizing a Ukrainian delegation to participate in negotiations with Mexico on a draft mutual investment protection agreement.

MOSCOW, March 23 - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is in Moscow to discuss the crisis situations in Ukraine and Syria with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at the Kremlin.

KIEV, March 22 – The United States has lifted restrictions on cooperation with Ukraine's state-run concern Ukroboronprom, President Petro Poroshenko said.

KIEV, March 22 - India considers Ukraine an important partner in Central Europe and is ready to develop new fields of a mutually fruitful cooperation, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of India to Ukraine Manoj Kumar Bharti said at a press conference at Interfax-Ukraine.

KIEV, March 23 – Former Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych's youngest son, Viktor, has died, said Nestor Shufrych, Ukrainian lawmaker and member of the Opposition Bloc parliamentary faction.

BRUSSELS, March 23 - Russia will consider providing a discount on gas to Ukraine by the end of March, Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak told reporters on Friday following gas talks in Brussels.