EU offers 1.8 billion euros for Ukraine as Germany seeks reform

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker listens during a news conference in Riga January 8, 2015. REUTERS/Ints Kalnins

RIGA/BERLIN (Reuters) - The European Union proposed on Thursday offering an additional 1.8 billion euros (1.3 billion pounds) to help save Ukraine from bankruptcy as Kiev assured Germany it had credible plans to modernise.

With an International Monetary Fund team resuming talks in Kiev, the European Commission offered the medium-term loans to add to the 1.4 billion euros it handed over last year, subject to approval by EU governments and EU lawmakers.