Kerry: We Stand by Ukraine

The White House today promised to back up its support of the new Ukraine government with $1 billion in loan guarantees and aid, reports the Los Angeles Times. It would be part of a bigger package from the IMF, assuming Congress signs off. John Kerry was delivering the specifics in person himself on a visit to Kiev. "The United States will stand by the Ukrainian people," he said, after again belittling Moscow's rationale for moving into Crimea as a sham, reports the Washington Post.

President Obama repeated his own criticism of Vladimir Putin while delivering his budget proposal, reports CNN. Moscow is clearly violating international law, Obama asserted. "President Putin seems to have a different set of lawyers making a different set of interpretations, but I don’t think that's fooling anybody." He and Kerry spoke after Putin said that while he wasn't planning military force against Ukraine, he would be justified in doing so. (More Ukraine stories.)