LONDON, Aug. 21 - The country's finances have worsened, raising pressure on the International Monetary Fund, The Financial Times said in an article on August 20.

KIEV, Aug 21 - Economy Minister Pavlo Sheremeta said on Thursday he had tendered his resignation, voicing frustration at the poor pace of economic reform by a government which he said acted "like a predator towards business."

KIEV, Aug. 21 - President Petro Poroshenko said on Thursday he might announce the dissolution of parliament as early as Sunday - a move that will set up a parliamentary election in Ukraine in late October, Reuters reported.

KIEV, Aug. 21 - President Petro Poroshenko said on Thursday he would call on Russian President Vladimir Putin to rein in pro-Russian separatists when the two men meet next week.

KIEV, Aug. 21 – Ukraine will be to blame for any aggravation in Russian-Ukrainian relations in gas supply matters ahead of the upcoming signing of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement, according to Sergei Glazyev, an advisor to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

KIEV, Aug. 21 – The Customs Union of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan will be forced to step up customs procedures for Ukraine and may withdraw from a free trade area with the country if Kiev signs an agreement on association and free trade area with the EU, Russian presidential advisor Sergei Glazyev said.

KIEV, Aug. 21 – Russia eased its trade restrictions against Ukraine hours after a strong warning from the European Union, which had described the development as “unacceptable.”

KIEV, Aug. 20 - The Ukrainian Batkivschyna United Opposition says it is consolidated but does not rule out 'a purge' of its parliamentary candidates in September.

KIEV, Aug. 21 – Ukraine's TVi Channel has said that the pressure on the channel by the authorities continues.

"The Tax Service continues impeding our work. More and more regional providers have been disconnecting TVi Channel from their networks due to censorship by the authorities," the Channel said in a statement on its official Web site on Monday.

KIEV, Aug. 21 - Ukrainian prosecutors urged a high court on Tuesday to reject the appeal of jailed former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko against her seven-year jail sentence for abuse of office.