KIEV, November 10 (RIA Novosti) - Ukraine...

Ukraine, caught in a deep economic crisis, has been surviving on a $16.4 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund, also using the money to pay for gas to Russia. The fund was due to release the fourth, $3.8 billion, tranche by the end of the year, but has so far delayed the release.

Media reports said the IMF would resume cooperation with the ex-Soviet state after presidential elections due in January.

Hryhoriy Nemyrya said, as quoted by Ukrainian media, that there would be no payment problems in November and December, "but if the [IMF] program is delayed until January, it will be very difficult to pay."

"We do not want the recurrence of problems with gas supplies to Ukraine and transit to Europe on Christmas," Nemyrya said.

A bitter gas pricing and debt dispute between Moscow and Kiev at the start of the year led to a brief cutoff in supplies to Ukraine and transits to Europe, leaving millions of Europeans without gas in January. Ukraine transits

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