Ukraine hopes to obtain the next round of funds as early as next month. Nov. 17 (Bloomberg) -- Ukraine’s cooperation with the International Monetary Fund is “absolutely necessary” and the country hopes to obtain the next round of funds as early as next month, Foreign Minister Petro Poroshenko said. The former Soviet state is dependent on a $16.4 billion IMF loan to avoid bankruptcy amid a recession and to maintain payments for the transit of Russian natural gas to Europe. The Washington-based IMFearlier this month decided to delay disbursement of the next $3.4 billion portion of the loan after Ukrainian lawmakers failed to rein in social spending. Read the story here.