Ukrainian PM welcomes 1-bln-euro aid from EU

KIEV, July 12 (Xinhua) -- Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal on Tuesday welcomed the decision of the European Union (EU) to grant Ukraine a new aid package of 1 billion euros.

The aid, which was approved by the finance ministers of the EU member states earlier in the day, would help Ukraine to maintain financial stability amid the conflict with Russia, Shmyhal wrote on Telegram.

Ukraine also plans to attract up to 200 million euros on preferential terms from Italy, Shmyhal said.

Earlier in the day, the Ukrainian Finance Ministry said that Kiev has received a grant of 1.7 billion dollars from the United States and will use it to cover state budget expenditures for medical services under the medical guarantee program.

Kiev plans to raise 20 billion dollars in international aid from its Western partners by the end of 2022, said Ukrainian Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko at a public event last month.