Zelensky, Michel discuss 7th package of anti-Russian sanctions, Ukraine's financial needs

MOSCOW. July 20 (Interfax) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European Council President Charles Michel have discussed the seventh package of anti-Russian sanctions and Ukraine's financial needs to maintain macroeconomic stability in a telephone conversation.

Zelensky thanked Michel for the EU decision to assign one billion euros in a new macro-financial assistance (MFA) to Ukraine, Ukrainian media reported citing the Ukrainian presidential press service. Zelensky said he hoped that this new MFA program would soon be implemented in full, Ukrainian media reported, adding that the European Council decided that the program will amount to nine billion euros.

For his part, Charles Michel praised the fact that the contest commission endorsed the candidate for the post of the head of Ukraine's specialized anti-corruption prosecutor's office. He also commended speeding up the process of selecting the head of the National Anticorruption Bureau. Michel said he is certain that other EU recommendations will be put in practice as fast as that, Ukrainian media reported.

Zelensky and Michel also agreed on the need to maintain an appropriate political dialogue and discussed the 24th EU-Ukraine Summit due later this year, the Ukrainian media said.