IMF Pledges Billions in Loans to Help Ailing Ukraine

After three weeks of urgent negotiations, the International Monetary Fund has agreed to provide $18 billion in loans to the interim government of Ukraine. President Obama welcomed the deal during his trip to Europe, saying it would bolster democratic reform. "So it's a concrete signal on how the world is united with Ukraine as it makes tough choices at an incredibly difficult time." Alexander Kliment is director of Emerging Markets Strategy for the Eurasia Group, a political risk consulting firm in New York.