KIEV, Sept. 16 - The International Monetary Fund has confirmed that there is likelihood that Ukraine would receive the fourth tranche of its Extended Fund Facility program by the end of this year, IMF Communications Department Director Gerry Rice said.

NEW YORK, Sept. 16 - The IMF executive board's approval of a disbursement of a $1 billion loan to Ukraine is positive but does not dispel concerns about Ukraine's ability to deliver on reforms agreed with the Fund, Fitch Ratings said Friday.

KIEV, Sept. 16 – The Foreign Ministry of Ukraine expressed concern about the statement by Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu on the deployment of "a proper and self-sufficient troop grouping in the Crimean direction."

KIEV, Sept. 17 – The Ukrainian government said that Russia may violate agreements on retaining the present regime of free trade until the end of 2015 and it is preparing for the urgent introduction of matching measures in response.

MOSCOW, Sept. 17 - Russia's Gazprom said on Wednesday it is unable to meet rising gas demand from Europe while it builds up stockpiles ahead of winter, undermining the ability of Europe to supply Ukraine with gas, Reuters reported.

KIEV, Sept. 17 - Ukraine's economy should pick up next year and grow 1% after a sharp contraction this year due mainly to the impact of the crisis in eastern Ukraine, the central bank said on Wednesday, Reuters reported.

KIEV, Sept. 17 - Ukraine's prime minister told government forces to remain on full battle alert on Wednesday as fighting in the rebel-held eastern city of Donetsk killed at least two civilians and further strained a ceasefire with Russian-backed separatists, Reuters reported.

VIENNA, Sept. 18 - Russian natural gas flows to the European Union through Slovakia via Ukraine on Thursday were similar to previous days this week, but still down from last week, Slovak pipeline operator Eustream said.

BRUSSELS, Sept. 18 - Russia has demanded changes to a free-trade deal between Ukraine and the European Union, underlining that Moscow was not satisfied by a last-minute concession from the EU to delay implementing the pact at the heart of the conflict in Ukraine, Reuters reported.

WASHINGTON, Sept. 18 - President Petro Poroshenko secured $53 million in assistance from the United States on Thursday but President Barack Obama for now turned down his appeals for weapons to fight Russian-backed separatists.