Russia Promises Ukraine Cheaper Gas, $15 Billion Loan

by VOA News December 17, 2013

Russia has promised to reduce the price of natural gas exports to Ukraine by a third and lend it $15 billion, as pro-European Union demonstrations continue in the capital Kiev and other Ukrainian cities.

The Russian aid was announced Tuesday following a meeting in Moscow between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine's President Viktor Yanukovych.

Putin said Russia would cut the price of gas for Ukraine to $268.5 per 1,000 cubic meters. He said it was a temporary measure.

He also said that Russia would invest $15 billion from its National Welfare Fund in Ukrainian government securities.

Ukraine needs at least $10 billion to avoid bankruptcy.

Ukraine protests

The meeting took place against the backdrop of anti-government protests in Ukraine, which were sparked a month ago when Yanukovych refused to sign an EU trade deal in favor of closer ties with Russia.

On Monday, Ukraine's ruling party demanded a sweeping Cabinet reorganization, in a sign the leadership is seeking to placate the pro-EU demonstrators.

Lawmakers with President Yanukovych's Party of Regions met Monday with Prime Minister Mykola Azarov to ask for a '90 percent reshuffle' of his government.

Earlier, in a bid to ease tensions, Yanukovych offered a number of concessions, including firing senior officials over police violence against protesters. But the pro-EU opposition has dismissed the moves as half-measures, and leaders are demanding Azarov's resignation as well as early presidential and parliamentary elections.

Ukraine is facing its biggest political crisis in a decade after Yanukovych failed to sign the long-planned political and trade deal with the European Union last month. He said significant trade pressure from Russia meant he must first fix relations with his eastern neighbor.

Russia has strongly opposed the EU deal, which would have anchored Ukraine, a former Soviet republic, in the West.

The Ukrainian government, which has sought up to $20 billion in foreign assistance to prop up its struggling economy, has assured the demonstrators that eventually it planned to sign an association agreement with the European Union.

But the bloc abruptly suspended talks Sunday, saying Ukraine's leadership was being disingenuous. EU foreign ministers meeting Monday in Brussels reiterated their willingness to strike a deal, but said the next move is up to Kyev.

A poll by Ukraine's non-governmental Research and Branding group released earlier this month shows 46 percent of Ukrainians favoring the EU trade pact. Thirty-six percent were shown favoring a rival trade bloc of former Soviet republics and satellite countries that is being pushed by Moscow.