Ukrainian premier angered at ministers for interfering

Prime Minister of Ukraine Yulia Tymoshenko criticized members of her Cabinet for interfering in her work.

"I am stumbling over obstacles that were unheard of in the previous government," Tymoshenko told reporters. Her remarks reflected the divisions that plague the Cabinet as it tries to reform this impoverished ex-Soviet republic.

"I would prefer if the government in Ukraine could work as a balanced team, but at the moment that's not the case," she said.

On Wednesday, Agriculture Minister Oleksandr Baranivsky criticized the government for a decree that would allow imports of Brazilian sugar at the expense of the local sugar industry.

Tymoshenko also dismissed widespread criticism of her handling of Ukraine's economy, after International Monetary Fund on Wednesday recommended country's financial authorities to do more to combat inflation, which reached 15 percent this year, the AP reports.

The IMF report said the government's populist policies that have led to an increase in pensions and wages had also caused inflation growth.

Tymoshenko regularly clashes with her deputy, Anatoly Kinakh, who is the leading pro-business member of Ukraine's Western-oriented government.