Ukraine requests ‘emergency financing’ from IMF

Ukraine has requested additional aid from the IMF following the Russian invasion, the fund's leader Kristalina Georgieva said Friday.

The crisis lender has an existing $2.2 billion aid program with Kyiv and  "the authorities have also requested IMF emergency financing," Georgieva said in a statement.

The fund's board met to discuss the situation in the country and the IMF chief pledged to continue  "to support Ukraine in every way we can."

The existing loan program was due to end in June, but Georgieva said the institution  "has a number of instruments in its toolkit" to provide aid. Georgieva repeated her warning about the crisis in Ukraine, calling it  "a matter of grave concern" due to the human toll and the broader effect on the global recovery.