BONDAGE

Russia Offers Ukraine a Deal

Of loans and gas discount.

Talk about an offer you can't refuse. As political unrest continues to rage in Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin went all in, offering the strapped country $15 billion in loans and a hefty discount on natural gas prices. The thinly-veiled carrot comes as thousands of protesters continue to fight against a government seen as too close to Russia that has spurned closer economic ties with Europe and the U.S. While it is unknown what Russia will receive in return, the offer, which was announced at the Kremlin at a meeting with Ukraine's President Viktor Yanukovich, is seen as giving the embattled leader an economic lifeline.