Ukraine Leader Says $3 Billion Russia ‘Bribe’ Requires Talks

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko urged top-level talks over a $3 billion Russian loan to his country, labeling the cash a “bribe” sealed by his ousted predecessor.

Poroshenko said the money was provided to keep Ukraine in Russia’s orbit and out of a European Union trade pact, though he stopped short of saying his government won’t repay it. He blamed Vladimir Putin for destabilizing Ukraine, saying the Russian leader lives in “a different universe.”