Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko is warning parliament not to hold a planned opening of its fall session Tuesday, saying any decisions it makes will be illegitimate.

An election campaign officially starts in Ukraine Thursday, 60 days before parliamentary polls fixed ahead of schedule in a bid to end a bitter political crisis in the ex-Soviet state.

The European Union has welcomed the agreement between rival Ukrainian leaders to end the country's political crisis by holding early parliamentary elections on September 30.

Ukraine's President Viktor Yushchenko and Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovich are set to resume talks Saturday aimed at resolving the escalating political crisis in Ukraine. The United States, European Union and Russia are all calling on Ukraine's two top leaders to avoid the use of force.

Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko says he is taking direct control of Interior Ministry forces during a time of increasing political tensions.

Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko says parliamentary elections should be held before the October date suggested by his rival, Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych.

Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko has named a new judge to the Constitutional Court, the second such appointment in two days amid a political crisis.

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk assured U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice Tuesday that his country would adhere to democratic standards in resolving its current political crisis.

President Viktor Yushchenko and other political leaders can overcome the political crisis in Ukraine by agreeing that a new ballot is the only way to overcome the nearly four-week-old political stalemate. That is the compromise suggested by premier to hold early parliamentary elections.

Ukraine's Constitutional Court has opened hearings to determine whether President Viktor Yushchenko's decree to dissolve parliament and call early elections is legal.

The recent spat in Ukraine between the president, Viktor Yushchenko, and his rival, Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych, has been followed closely in Russia. Russian politicians have been eager to speak out about the mounting crisis, with the Duma issuing a statement on April 6 supporting the Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada and denouncing Yushchenko's decision to dissolve parliament.

Supporters of Ukraine's president and prime minister are holding rival rallies in Kyiv today as the country's political crisis enters its second week with no sign of a breakthrough, RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service reported.