KIEV, March 20 - Oleksandr Turchynov, Ukraine's acting president and Parliament speaker, has authorized Prime Minister Arseniy Yatseniuk to sign the political section of Ukraine's Association Agreement with the European Union on March 21.

Turchynov's instruction issued to Yatseniuk was published on the acting president's Web site on March 19.

KIEV, March 20 - Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to destabilize Ukraine's presidential election in May and has been preparing for possible military action in eastern Ukraine, Prime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk said.

GENEVA, March 20 - Russia may be preparing a further military incursion to Ukrainian territory, Ukraine's ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, Yuriy Klymenko, told U.N. diplomats at a briefing on the human rights situation in Ukraine on Thursday.

WASHINGTON, March 20 - U.S. President Barack Obama raised the stakes in an East-West confrontation over Crimea on Thursday by targeting some of Russian President Vladimir Putin's closest long-time political and business allies with personal sanctions, Reuters reported.

KIEV, March 18 – The church enjoys the biggest trust of Ukrainians among social institutions, and 63.8% of respondents trust it one way or another, according to a survey conducted by the sociological service of the Razumkov Center.

BRUSSELS, March 19 – The European Commission has reiterated its willingness to join the development of the trilateral gas transportation consortium of the EU, Ukraine and Russia.

KIEV, March 20 – President Viktor Yanukovych will travel to Poland on Friday – the second such trip in 30 days - as the European officials seek clues on whether Ukraine is committed enough for closer integration.

KIEV, March 20 – First Deputy Prime Minister Valeriy Khoroshkovsky will chair the interdepartmental commission for fighting illegal seizures and mergers of companies, Prime Minister Mykola Azarov said.

MOSCOW, March 19 - Ukraine will behave tolerantly in trade relations with the member states of the Customs Union and is not planning to introduce counter sanctions, First Deputy Prime Minister Valeriy Khoroshkovsky said.

KIEV, March 20 - Parliament on Tuesday approved in the first reading a bill that allows restructuring of national energy company Naftogaz Ukrayiny, but bans selling its natural gas pipelines that move Russian gas to Europe.