KYIV, Dec 16 – Ukraine will seek to deepen its strategic cooperation with the U.S. in the defense sector in order to counteract on-going Russia’s aggression, Oleksiy Danilov, the Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC), said.

KYIV, Dec 17 – Ukraine called on the U.S. to support the country’s plan to join NATO so that Ukraine will become one of the U.S.’s key allies in the region, Olha Stefanishyna, the Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, said.

KYIV, Dec 19 – Prime Minister Oleksiy Honcharuk has instructed the Finance Ministry to temporarily, until the end of the budget year, to suspend settlement of payments and registration of budgetary expenditure and loan provision obligations of the general fund, apart from secured budget items, by the State Treasury Service of Ukraine, aiming at meeting the budget deficit limit for the general fund.

KYIV, Dec 19 – Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko will hold talks with German officials in Berlin on Thursday and Friday to brief them on importance of US sanctions to be imposed to stop Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline.

BERLIN, Dec. 19 - Russia and Ukraine struck an "agreement in principle" on Thursday to continue the transit of Russian gas through Ukrainian territory, DW reported.

KYIV, Dec 17 - Ukraine expects to receive the second tranche within the current program of macro-financial assistance from the European Union in the amount of EUR500 million in early 2019.

KYIV, Dec 18 – The International Monetary Fund approved a new $3.9 billion stand-by aid agreement for Ukraine on Tuesday, intended to help the country maintain stability and the trust of investors as it heads into a choppy election period.

KYIV, Dec 17 – The European Union (EU) is providing a second tranche to support the Energy Efficiency Fund of Ukraine in the amount of EUR 54 million, the press service of the Regional Development, Construction, Housing and Utilities Economy Ministry of Ukraine has reported.

KYIV, Dec 17 - The European Union has called on Ukraine to lift the moratorium on the export of round timber, as well as introduce administrative and institutional reforms and ensure the functioning of an efficient and transparent administrative system.

KYIV, Dec 18 – Ukraine's role as a transit country for gas strategic to the EU, which encourages Ukraine to remain on the path of reforms, in particular, to complete the unbundling in the gas and electricity sectors, Vice President of the European Commission in charge of the Energy Union Maros Sefcovic has said.