WASHINGTON, April 30 - The International Monetary Fund today gave Ukraine a major financial shot in the arm with the approval of a $17 billion two-year Stand-By Arrangement, making about $3.2 billion of it available immediately.

The arrangement amounts to SDR 10.976 billion (about US$17.01 billion, 800 percent of quota) and was approved by the IMF executive board under the Fund's exceptional access policy.