KIEV, March 12 – The new Cabinet of Ministers will focus on the country's economic development and strengthening the middle class, according to a statement by Prime Minister Mykola Azarov.

KIEV, March 15 – The question of conferring the Hero of Ukraine title to Stepan Bandera, one of the leaders of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN), is not a main clause in the European Parliament's resolution on the situation in Ukraine, MEP Pawel Zalewski of Poland, one of the initiators of the resolution on Ukraine, said in an interview with the Dzerkalo Tyzhnia (Mirror Weekly) newspaper.

KIEV, March 15 – The International Monetary Fund is ready to support Ukraine's efforts aimed at economic growth, IMF Resident Representative in Ukraine Max Alier said after meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Sergiy Tyhypko.

KIEV, March 15 - The government appointed Yevhen Bakulin as chairman of the national oil and gas company Naftogaz Ukrayiny, a source in the government said Monday.

KIEV, March 15 – Pressure has been growing on Dmytro Tabachnyk, the newly appointed education and science minister, who is seen by all opposition groups as a heavily pro-Russian figure, to resign.

KIEV, March 15 – President Viktor Yanukovych on Monday gave the government 30 days to approve a realistic 2010 budget, a key demand from the International Monetary Fund for resumption of lending to the country.

KIEV, March 12 – The number of Ukrainians ready to take part in protests has increased over the last three months, according to a poll conducted by the Razumkov Centre for Economic and Political Studies from Feb. 27 through March 2, 2009.

KIEV, March 12 – Ukraine is unlikely to default on its sovereign debt, despite the devaluation of the hryvnia and poor economic indicators, according to experts attending an investment summit held this week in London.

KIEV, March 13 – The prospects for the hryvnia exchange rate in March depend on the results of Ukraine's talks with the International Monetary Fund, the regularity of intervention by the National Bank of Ukraine and the situation on the credit market, according to bankers polled by Interfax-Ukraine.

KIEV, March 13 - Ukraine plans this year to start building a huge wind power generating plant in a bid to cut dependence on Russian natural gas imports, the Environment Ministry reported.