USA ready to provide $2 bln loan guarantees for Ukraine

Photo: Reuters

Ukraine's Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk has said that the United States of America has expressed willingness to provide $2 billion loan guarantees for his government.

"Thirty minutes ago the U.S. announced in its statement that the U.S. is ready to allocate $2 billion for Ukraine," Yatsenyuk said in a joint statement with Estonian Prime Minister Taavi Roivas issued for the press in Kyiv on Tuesday.

"Our western partners provide aid only when we have a program with the International Monetary Fund and when one is being implemented. In their statement, they made an explicit reference to the reforms conducted in Ukraine, thanks to which they made the decision to provide $2 billion loan guarantees to Ukraine according to the same model that was made in May 2014," the premier said.

The U.S. will provide Ukraine with $1 billion in the first half of 2015; the other $1 billion will be provided if Ukraine implements its cooperation program with the IMF, he said.

"The U.S. government said about the progress the Ukrainian government has made in the process of fighting corruption, reforming the energy sector and restoring the financial system," Yatsenyuk said.

He pointed to progress in talks with the IMF.