KIEV, Dec. 16 – President Petro Poroshenko has expressed the hope that in the near future Ukraine will become a member of the Visegrad Four, which will then transform into the Visegrad Five.

KIEV, Dec. 17 – The Cabinet of Ministers expects that the tax and budget package will be approved by Parliament on December 25, giving Ukraine to receive a new disbursement of $3 billion from the International Monetary Fund in early January, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing an interview with Finance Minister Natalie Jaresko.

WARSAW, Dec. 17 - President Petro Poroshenko said on Wednesday he had decided his country should set out on a course towards Euro-Atlantic security integration, and would press for that in parliament soon, Reuters reported.

BRUSSELS, Dec. 17 - The International Monetary Fund estimates Ukraine needs another $15 billion in financing to withstand an economic crisis but the European Union has only limited capacity to help, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said on Wednesday, Reuters reported.

KIEV, Dec. 17 - The European Union's foreign policy chief said on Wednesday that she and President Petro Poroshenko had detected signs of greater willingness from Russia to resolve the crisis in Ukraine's pro-separatist eastern territories, Reuters reported.

KIEV, Dec. 16 - The duration and scale of anti-government protests in Ukraine has put additional pressure on the country's credit profile, Fitch Ratings agency said.

KIEV, Dec. 17 – The opposition is ready to unblock Parliament so as to consider the state budget for 2014, UDAR faction leader Vitaliy Klitschko said.

"We're ready to unblock the parliament to consider the budget. Let them approve this budget and take responsibility for it," he told reporters after a morning meeting of parliament on Tuesday.

KIEV, Dec. 17 – An accident at the Sviato-Pokrovska Mine in Donetsk region, which is under control of Coal Energy, killed four miners and 13 miners were taken to hospital, the State Emergencies Service reported on Tuesday.

BRUSSELS, Dec. 17 – The foreign ministers of the EU member states have reaffirmed their readiness to sign an Association Agreement with Ukraine after the country meets the necessary conditions, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton said.

KIEV, Dec. 17 - President Viktor Yanukovych has secured a $15 billion bailout from Russia, offering respite for an economy heading ever closer to default but also drawing accusations he has sold his country out to its former Soviet master, Reuters reported.