| Playing a trump card in his diplomatic contest with the West over Ukraine, President Vladimir V. Putin on Tuesday said that Russia would come to the rescue of its financially troubled neighbor, providing $15 billion in loans and a sharp discount on natural gas prices. |
| It was a bold and risky move by Russia, given the political chaos in Ukraine, where thousands of anti-government protesters remain encamped in Independence Square. For the moment, however, Mr. Putin seemed to gain the upper hand with Europe and the United States in their contest for influence. |
| There was no discussion of what Russia might receive in return for its assistance. Protesters in Kiev have been deeply worried that Mr. Yanukovich would cut a secret deal to join a customs union that Russia has established with Belarus and Kazakhstan. That would largely preclude any possibility of reviving the accords with Europe, but Mr. Putin said the subject had not come up. |
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http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/18/world/europe/russia-offers-ukraine-financial-lifeline.html?emc=edit_na_20131217 |
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