US loan guarantees to help Ukraine are worthless - Putin
Washington's offer to provide $1 billion in loan guarantees to help Ukraine is worthless as there are no banks willing to finance the recovery of crisis-hit country, President Vladimir Putin said Friday. ● Putin called Washington's negative response to his letter addressed to European leaders, which contains proposals on how to solve the Ukrainian crisis, "a bit strange" as the United States was able so far only to offer guarantees rather than actual loans. "What are these guarantees to the banks that would be ready to issue loans, but there are no such banks, which means there is no aid," Putin said at a meeting with members of Russia's Security Council. "We are seriously concerned about this," he added. Russia will fully honor its obligations to supply natural gas to European partners, Russian President Vladimir Putin said.