MOSCOW, March 20 – Russia on Tuesday stepped up pressure on Ukraine to join a Moscow-led led trade bloc, warning that those countries that don’t would face serious trade difficulties.

President Viktor Yanukovych on Tuesday visited Moscow to join a meeting of regional leaders as his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev showcased the trade bloc, the Customs Union.

KIEV, March 19 – Ukraine's Higher Specialized Court for Civil and Criminal Cases will consider on May 15 a cassation appeal lodged by the defense team of former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko against the verdict on the Russian gas supply contract case, Tymoshenko's lawyer, Oleksandr Plakhotniuk, told Interfax-Ukraine.

KIEV, March 18 – Ukraine will fulfill all of its obligations to the International Monetary Fund concerning the implementation of pension reform, Iryna Akimova, first deputy head of the Presidential Administration said, commenting on the delay in the adoption of the law.

KIEV, March 18 – Ukraine still hopes to create a free-trade area with the European Union, while considering the possibility of reaching similar agreements with Turkey and Israel, Prime Minister Mykola Azarov said.

KIEV, Mach 18 - The U.S.’s National Democratic Institute (NDI) notified Ukraine it is suspending its involvement in the working group that has been drafting new election legislation due to poor transparency of the process.

KIEV, March 20 – Ukrainian lawmakers may create a special commission to investigate privatization of national phone company UkrTelecom amid skepticism about the government’s story suggesting the company had been purchased by five Austrians.

KIEV, March 19 - Ukraine will demand compensation from Russian ship owners for damages caused by oil contaminated waste which poured into Kerch Strait where a number of vessels sunk in November 2007, the Ukrainian government's press service said.

KIEV, March 20 - The Prosecutor General Office will keep an eye on gasoline retailers who may be resorting to “unjustified” hikes in prices of gasoline and diesel fuel, the office reported Thursday.

KIEV, March 20 – Parliament on Thursday voted by an overwhelming majority to cancel a controversial law that had been regulating about $20 billion in annual spending by state companies and agencies.

KIEV, March 20 – President Viktor Yushchenko met Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko on Thursday to try to persuade her to agree to a single candidate from the governing coalition to run at the Kiev mayoral election in June.