Ukraine: For Sale?

The Russian Finance Ministry announced Feb. 9 that its Ukrainian counterpart requested a $5 billion loan from Moscow to cover Kiev's budget deficit. Coupled with the International Monetary Fund's wariness of disbursing a second tranche ($1.9 billion) of a $16.5 billion loan agreed upon in November 2008, this move indicates the seriousness of Ukraine's financial state. It also highlights Ukraine's more fundamental economic problems, showing that Kiev ultimately will fall into the orbit of whichever country can come to its aid financially.