Putin stands by $15bn Ukraine bailout

As Ukraine’s hard-line pro-Moscow prime minister and his government resigned, Russian president Vladimir Putin says that he will still provide the country with the $15bn (€11bn) bailout as agreed.

However, he warned that Russia would want its money back and while it was prepared to reduce the price of gas and defer payments, the Russian economy could only afford so much.

While the demonstrations spread to the more Russian-leaning east of Ukraine, the EU’s foreign affairs head, Catherine Ashton brought forward her trip to Kiev to last night where she joined Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fuele, who is there for the second time.