Ukraine leader, under pressure from West, pledges new government soon

KIEV (Reuters) - Ukraine will take the first steps this week towards forming a new government, President Petro Poroshenko said on Monday, seeking to assuage concern among his Western allies that the delay is holding up reform and imperilling Western assistance.

The U.S. and other Western governments are criticising Kiev's tardiness in putting together a government following October elections - with suspicions that the delay is due to rivalry between Poroshenko and Prime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk over control of key portfolios.