Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday welcomed the decision of the European Commission to propose a support package for Ukraine of up to 18 billion euros (about 18 billion U.S. dollars) for next year.

"Grateful to the European Commission and its President Ursula von der Leyen for announcing an 18-billion-euro financial aid package for 2023," Zelensky tweeted.

He stressed that the gesture shows the "true solidarity" of the European Union (EU) with Ukraine.

Earlier in the day, the European Commission proposed granting the assistance package to Ukraine, saying that the aid averaging 1.5 billion euros per month will help Ukraine cover a significant part of its short-term funding needs for 2023.

The legislative proposals aimed at the smooth delivery of the package need approval by the European Parliament and the European Council before entering into force.