WASHINGTON, Safar 19, 1436, December 11, 2014, SPA—The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Thursday urged the international community to provide fresh funding to Ukraine, which is near default on its huge debts. Spokesman William Murray said an IMF mission currently is in Ukraine assessing its financing needs, and that IMF Deputy Director David Lipton likely would visit Kiev this weekend. But with Ukraine’s finances deteriorating and the economy struggling under the costs of the ongoing pro-Russia uprising in the country’s east, Murray said Kiev needs urgent support. “It’s really important that the donor community step up and provide financing to Ukraine,” he said in Washington. Earlier this year, the IMF helped assemble a $27 billion global rescue package in the weeks that followed the February ouster in Kiev of Russian-backed President Viktor Yanukovych. But the funding has proven insufficient as the war with secessionist groups continues. The IMF warned recently that Ukraine could need as much as $19 billion more if the conflict continues to the end of 2015. Earlier, Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk said an international donor conference was urgently needed to avoid default. --SPA 13:30 LOCAL TIME 10:30 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/w