KIEV, Feb. 5 - Ukraine's public finances will continue to be under pressure during 2010 in the absence of more rigorous reforms to both the energy sector and the pension system, according to Standard & Poor's Ratings Services.

"However, even though the budget for 2010 is still undecided and the second round of presidential elections has yet to take place, Standard & Poor's remains of the opinion that default is far from inevitable," reads a company review.