Ukraine seeks more IMF aid
President Petro Poroshenko of Ukraine, has asked the International
Monetary Fund, IMF, to increase its financial assistance to his country, which
faces a $15-billion budget shortfall and needs to hike defence
spending to fund the fight against Russia-backed separatists.
Poroshenko made the request during a phonecall with IMF chief Christine Lagarde, his office said on Saturday, reports dpa.
The IMF has already earmarked 17 billion dollars to a bailout programme for Ukraine, conditioning the aid on reforms that include raising gas prices and welfare cutbacks.
At the conclusion of a nine-day visit by IMF officials, Ukraine mission chief Nikolay Gueorguiev said the international lending body would continue discussions in January.
"We found that the Ukrainian authorities are preparing to move decisively on a broad and comprehensive agenda to stabilize and reform the economy, while coping with the difficult challenges that emerged in the last year," Gueorguiev said Friday.
"In this context, we advanced substantially our mutual understandings of policy priorities going forward."
Also on Saturday, Russian officials announced that they would send a convoy of supplies to the embattled region of Donbass, making it the tenth such delivery.
A column of 170 trucks carrying 1,400 tons of supplies are slated to depart on Sunday, Russian Civil Defense Minister Vladimir Putschkow said.
The announcement came a day after a breakdown in negotiations aimed at re-starting peace talks.
"Ukraine sabotaged the Minsk negotiations. Everyone said that the talks would take place, but there are no talks," separatist leader Alexander Sachartschenko was quoted as saying Saturday.
Poroshenko was re-elected in an October election won by pro-Western parties. He has vowed to implement sweeping fiscal reform and move Ukraine closer to Europe and the West, including by joining the European Union and North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, NATO.
Poroshenko succeeded Viktor Yanukovych, who fled the country in March after mass demonstrations by pro-Western protesters. Russia annexed Crimea the following month and backed an armed uprising in eastern Ukraine, prompting sanctions by Western powers.
On Friday, US President Barack Obama signed an order prohibiting the export and import of goods, technology or services to and from Crimea. The order authorizes the US Treasury to impose sanctions on individuals and entities operating in the peninsula.
Poroshenko made the request during a phonecall with IMF chief Christine Lagarde, his office said on Saturday, reports dpa.
The IMF has already earmarked 17 billion dollars to a bailout programme for Ukraine, conditioning the aid on reforms that include raising gas prices and welfare cutbacks.
At the conclusion of a nine-day visit by IMF officials, Ukraine mission chief Nikolay Gueorguiev said the international lending body would continue discussions in January.
"We found that the Ukrainian authorities are preparing to move decisively on a broad and comprehensive agenda to stabilize and reform the economy, while coping with the difficult challenges that emerged in the last year," Gueorguiev said Friday.
"In this context, we advanced substantially our mutual understandings of policy priorities going forward."
Also on Saturday, Russian officials announced that they would send a convoy of supplies to the embattled region of Donbass, making it the tenth such delivery.
A column of 170 trucks carrying 1,400 tons of supplies are slated to depart on Sunday, Russian Civil Defense Minister Vladimir Putschkow said.
The announcement came a day after a breakdown in negotiations aimed at re-starting peace talks.
"Ukraine sabotaged the Minsk negotiations. Everyone said that the talks would take place, but there are no talks," separatist leader Alexander Sachartschenko was quoted as saying Saturday.
Poroshenko was re-elected in an October election won by pro-Western parties. He has vowed to implement sweeping fiscal reform and move Ukraine closer to Europe and the West, including by joining the European Union and North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, NATO.
Poroshenko succeeded Viktor Yanukovych, who fled the country in March after mass demonstrations by pro-Western protesters. Russia annexed Crimea the following month and backed an armed uprising in eastern Ukraine, prompting sanctions by Western powers.
On Friday, US President Barack Obama signed an order prohibiting the export and import of goods, technology or services to and from Crimea. The order authorizes the US Treasury to impose sanctions on individuals and entities operating in the peninsula.
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