Ukrainian PM, EU top official discuss war, fresh aid

Kiev: Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal and visiting European Commission's Executive Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis discussed the ongoing war and fresh aid for Kiev.

Speaking at a press conference after their talks on Friday, Shmyhal said that Russia's attacks have disabled about 50 per cent of Ukraine's energy infrastructure, reports Xinhua news agency.

Due to the ongoing energy crisis, Ukraine needs more support from partners, including the supplies of energy equipment and additional financial assistance, Shmyhal said.

For his part, Dombrovskis said that the European Union (EU) plans to provide up to 18 billion euros in financial aid to Ukraine next year.

The assistance is set to be approved next month, and Ukraine may receive the first tranche as soon as January 2023, Dombrovskis said.

Dombrovskis arrived in Kiev earlier in the day for talks with Ukrainian authorities.