KIEV, Dec. 20 – Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman has noted the importance of the decision by the European Commission to provide EUR 104 million as financial assistance to Ukraine, as well as the signing of a memorandum and a number of cooperation agreements with the European Investment Bank.

KIEV, Dec. 21 – Parliament has passed bill No. 5132 amending the Tax Code to provide for the balance of budget revenue in 2017. The document envisages the increase of alcohol and tobacco excise duties, deposit use and radio frequency spectrum royalties. The adoption of the bill was required for approving the 2017 national budget.

KIEV, Dec. 21 – The Finance Ministry said it drew up the draft amendments to the Tax Code of Ukraine itself, although the ministry used consultations by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) international consulting company, the services of which were paid by the British government.

KIEV, Dec. 21 – Ukraine should enter the new year with a budget that meets the criteria determined in cooperation with the International Monetary Fund, Prime Minister Arseniy Yatseniuk said.

MOSCOW, Dec. 21 - Russia will introduce a food embargo against Ukraine next month over Kiev's trade deal with the EU, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said Monday, extending punitive measures already in place against Western countries, AFP reported.

KIEV, Dec. 18 – Following the positive assessment of the progress report on the implementation by Ukraine of its Visa Liberalization Action Plan (VLAP), the European Commission will present in early 2016 a legislative proposal to the Council and the European Parliament to lift visa requirements for Ukrainian citizens holding a biometric passport, said European Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship Dimitris Avramopoulos.

KIEV, Dec. 18 – The European Commission on Friday approved a positive report on the implementation by Ukraine of the Action Plan on Visa Liberalization (VLAP) with the EU by Ukraine.

KIEV, Dec. 21 – The financial assistance of the United States for Ukraine in 2016 shall be $658.185 million, which is $145 million above the initial request, the Ukrainian Embassy to the United States reported.

KIEV, Dec. 21 – President Petro Poroshenko has vetoed bill No. 1558-VIII on restructuring loans issued in foreign currency and retuned it with his proposals to the Ukrainian parliament for repeated discussion.

VIENNA, Dec. 18 - European security watchdog the OSCE prolonged the mandate of its observer mission at two Russian checkpoints on the border with Ukraine by three months on Thursday, the longest extension so far, Reuters reported.