Ukraine expects to receive the first tranche of macrofinancial assistance worth 600m euros in late March and early April. This was announced by the head of the Ministry of Finance Serhiy Marchenko.

"The first tranche of such aid will amount to 600 million euros and is unconditional. We hope to receive these funds at the end of March - beginning of April this year," Marchenko said, speaking from the rostrum of Parliament during the question hour to the government on Friday.

"Ukraine will receive the second tranche after the parties approve short-term measures to implement structural reforms, on which the teams of the European Commission and the Ministry of Finance are working together," the minister added.

He called the allocation of macrofinancial assistance to Ukraine unprecedentedly fast.

On 16 February, the European Parliament agreed to provide Ukraine with a package of urgent macrofinancial assistance worth 1.2bn euros.