United States offers Ukraine a loan guarantee of up to $1 billion

The United States is offering Ukraine a sovereign loan guarantee of up to $1 billion to help its economy amid pressure from Russia's military buildup, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Monday.

  "This offer ...will bolster Ukraine's ability to ensure economic stability, growth, and prosperity for its people in the face of Russia's destabilizing behavior," Blinken said in a statement.

A strong partnership between Ukraine, the IMF, other international financial bodies, the G7 grouping of wealthy nations and other bilateral donors would also help in the effort, he added.