Obama signs law providing Ukraine loan guarantees

By: 11 years ago

Sen. James Risch, R-Idaho, center, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Sen. Dan Coats, R-Ind., head to the chamber to advance a bill providing $1 billion in loan guarantees to Ukraine as President Barack Obama meets with U.S. allies in Europe to punish Moscow for its annexation of the Crimean peninsula, at the Capitol in Washington, Monday, March 24, 2014. AP

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama has signed into law a bill providing $1 billion in U.S. loan guarantees to Ukraine.

The legislation signed by the president Thursday also punishes Russia for its bold annexation of the Ukrainian region of Crimea. It calls for the direct imposition of sanctions on certain people with regard to Ukraine.

Some in Congress are pushing Obama to take further steps, including increasing natural gas exports to Europe.

Obama later met congressional leaders to thank them but urged them to go further by adopting changes to the International Monetary Fund.

He met in the Oval Office with House Speaker John Boehner, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. The leaders left the White House without speaking to reporters.

The White House says Obama briefed the leaders on his recent trip to Europe and Saudi Arabia.

Obama told the lawmakers the U.S. will continue leading a global effort to support Ukraine and isolate Russia for violating Ukraine’s sovereignty.

The leaders also discussed nuclear security, Obama’s meeting with the pope and the U.S.-Saudi relations.