KIEV, Aug. 14 - President Viktor Yushchenko's response to Russian President Dmitry Medvedev's Aug. 11 address is formal and evades the existing problems in relations between the two countries, said Mykola Azarov, a Ukrainian parliamentarian and a member of the political council of the major opposition Regions party.

KIEV, Aug. 14 - Ukraine ended the first half of 2009 with a budget deficit of UAH 10.61 billion, the Finance Ministry said.

Federal budget revenue declined 3.5%, to UAH 101.12 billion in the first half of 2009 compared to the same period of 2008 with tax revenue falling 12.9%, to UAH 67.67 billion.

KIEV, Aug. 17 – The replenishment of reserves of the National Bank of Ukraine after the allocation of Special Drawing Rights (SDR) by the International Monetary Fund is widening the ability of the central bank to support of the national currency, according to experts polled by Interfax-Ukraine.

Kiev, Aug. 17 - Ukraine will soon receive 1.309 billion SDR ($2.04 billion) in the International Monetary Funds's SDR allocations, the IMF announced.

The IMF board approved the allocation of SDR worth $250 billion among 186 countries, which will take place on Aug. 28.

A further 21.4 billion SDR ($33 billion) will be allocated among IMF members who entered the organization after 1981 and have never received SDR.

KIEV, Aug. 17 – Ukraine may face growing inflation if Parliament on Friday overrides a veto from President Viktor Yushchenko and allows the National Bank of Ukraine to print 9.8 billion hryvnias to pay for infrastructure projects.

KIEV, Aug. 17 – Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry seeks more details about legislation that Russian President Dmitry Medvedev recently submitted to authorize legal use of military force in foreign countries, allegedly for protection of Russian citizens.

KIEV, Aug. 17 - Ukraine said Friday it is ready to make its missile warning system, which had been previously used by Russia, available for Western countries following Moscow’s abrogation of a long-term agreement governing its use.

KIEV, Aug. 17 - President Viktor Yushchenko will travel to oil-rich Azerbaijan in early September for talks over crude oil supplies, the presidential press service said Thursday.

KIEV, Aug. 17 ??“ Ukraine faces a massive shortage of natural gas this year and the government scrambles to arrange extra gas supplies before the winter begins, a senior government official said Thursday.

KIEV, Aug. 17 - The Prosecutor General Office and the State Tax Administration will soon be completely reshuffled, President Viktor Yushchenko said Wednesday.