Ukraine, after receiving a loan from Russia, now has stronger positions in talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Prime Minister Mykola Azarov has said.

"We don't need to take money from the IMF, and we have a strong position for talks with them. Let's see how the talks will be held," he said on the Shuster Live show on the Inter television channel late on Friday.

Azarov also said that Ukraine had proposed continuing cooperation with the IMF, but the fund is putting the same conditions as before.

He said that Ukraine, in the difficult financial situation it found itself, would in any case reach agreement on a loan with either the IMF or Russia, "but it would have prevented any default." However, Ukraine's positions in talks with the IMF were weak at that moment, he said.