Dmytro Firtash is in talks with business associations in European countries to create a fund to support Ukrainian small and medium businesses with a total of EUR 500 million, the press service of the Federation of Employers of Ukraine has said.

"Today small and medium businesses need support more than ever. Therefore we in Vienna are working on the issue of creating an international fund that could provide financial support to Ukrainian businessmen," he said.

According to Firtash, investors in the fund could be international companies, government agencies, the European Union, as well as Ukrainian businesses.

Firtash said he believes that to stabilize the economic situation in Ukraine it is also necessary to introduce a moratorium on the use of sanctions against businesses for the time of combat operations in the east, liquidate corruption, work on preserving foreign markets and decentralize the financial system.