Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko's party officially pulled out of the ruling pro-Western coalition on Wednesday amid a government dispute over presidential powers and the Georgia-Russia conflict.

As President Viktor Yushchenko extended his deadline, Ukraine's lawmakers on Friday began voting on a series of bills needed to hold early elections. Ukraine has been embroiled in a political crisis since Yushchenko issued a decree on April 2 to dissolve the parliament and to call early elections.

Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko has extended his deadline for parliament to pass a series of laws needed to hold early elections, RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service reported.

After days of rising political tensions in Ukraine and concerns over the possible use of force, the country's leaders have reached an agreement to settle their long-standing dispute. President Viktor Yushchenko and Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych announced that Ukraine's political crisis -- which had sparked concerns over the possible use of force -- was finally over.

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.

President Viktor Yushchenko today placed the country's Interior Ministry troops under his control as the country's political crisis intensifies. The move comes after riot police from the ministry -- which is loyal to Yushchenko's rival, Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych -- occupied the office of Prosecutor-General Svyatoslav Piskun in an attempt to block his sacking yesterday by the president.

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

The chairman of Ukraine's Constitutional Court, Ivan Dombrovskyy, has resigned amid deliberations about the country's political standoff. According to a statement posted on the Constitutional Court's website, the court's deputy chairman, Valeriy Pshenychnyy, will assume Dombrovskyy's duties.

Ukraine's president and prime minister today said they have agreed to hold early parliamentary elections. The announcement marks a breakthrough in the leaders' monthlong political standoff sparked by President Viktor Yushchenko's decree to dissolve parliament and call early elections.

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