KIEV, Dec. 17 – President Viktor Yushchenko has called for the Fuel and Energy Ministry and the government to stop further elaboration and coordination of a draft memorandum of mutual understanding between Russia's state atomic energy corporation Rosatom and Ukraine's Energy Ministry on developing cooperation in geological prospecting, and the production and processing of uranium ores.

KIEV, Dec. 17 – Sailors from the Ariana, a ship recently freed by Somali pirates, are expected to arrive in Ukraine by the end of the year.

"I believe that several days before New Year we will be able to bring our sailors back to Ukraine," said Mykola Malomuzh, chief of Ukraine's Foreign Intelligence Service.

KIEV, Dec. 18 – The International Monetary Fund and Ukrainian authorities are continuing to discuss the terms required for the allocation of the next tranche to Ukraine under the Stand-By Arrangement, said Caroline Atkinson, director of the IMF External Relations Department.

KIEV, Dec. 19 – President Viktor Yushchenko announced plans to hold talks with other presidential candidates sharing a pro-Western platform in order to secure their support as he seeks re-election next month.

KIEV, Dec. 20 - President Viktor Yushchenko, Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko and parliamentarian and businessman Rinat Akhmetov are at the top of the list of the 200 most influential Ukrainians in 2007 compiled by Focus weekly magazine.

KIEV, Dec. 20 - Ukraine’s new government, which was appointed on Tuesday, has started scrutinizing recent natural gas agreements with Russia to see if they can be renegotiated, a senior government official said Thursday.

KIEV, Dec. 20 – The Regions Party, Parliament’s largest political party and opposition group, ed by recently ousted former Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych, on Thursday called for an immediate debate and approval of the draft 2008 budget.

KIEV, Dec. 20 – Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko on Thursday declared a crusade against corruption in Ukraine and promised “no amnesty” to those found guilty of embezzlement or illegal transactions that had benefited them.

KIEV, Dec. 19 - Kharkiv State Aviation Production Enterprise has supplied a regular fuselage of the An-140-100 short-haul aircraft to Iran.

KIEV, Dec. 20 ??“ Yuriy Lutsenko, a popular opposition leader, said Wednesday he will organize massive opposition protests within in the spring to force dismissal of the government of Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych.