LVIV, April 20 - Troops from the United States and Ukraine kicked off joint training exercises Monday intended to help bolster Ukraine's defenses against incursions from Russian-backed separatists in the east.

KIEV, April 18 – The Ukrainian Infrastructure Ministry and the Crimean government will draft a project to develop the western coast of Crimea as a resort area, involving foreign experts who will be chosen through a competition, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister and Infrastructure Minister Borys Kolesnikov said.

KIEV, April 19 – UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon named the main tasks to achieve in responding to the major challenges of modern energy while speaking in Kiev on Tuesday at a summit on the safe and innovative use of nuclear energy.

KIEV, April 19 – The presidents of a number of countries attending a summit on the safe and innovative use of nuclear energy in Kiev on Tuesday have said they believe that nuclear safety is a top priority.

KIEV, April 20 – Ukraine supports the strengthening of the international nuclear nonproliferation regime, President Viktor Yanukovych said.

KIEV, April 20 – Ukraine and Russia began formal discussions to explore the possibility of changing a formula that sets natural gas prices between the two countries, Prime Minister Mykola Azarov said Wednesday.

KIEV, April 20 - Viktor Lozynskiy, a former lawmaker from the group led by former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, on Wednesday was sentenced to 15 years in prison for shooting an innocent person to death in 2009.

KIEV, April 20 – The Kyiv Post’s owner on Wednesday agreed to sell the newspaper to editorial staff for $1 if they arrange financing by Sept. 1 to cover the newspaper’s costs, TeleKrytyka reported citing a source.

KIEV, April 19 – Slovakia is ready to participate in a project to modernize the Ukrainian gas transport system, Slovak Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajcak said at a meeting with Prime Minister Mykola Azarov.

KIEV, April 20 - Prime Minister Mykola Azarov arrived in Moscow on Tuesday for an emergency meeting with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to finalize amendments to a 10-year natural gas agreement, the government reported on its Website.