Sweden to Give Ukraine $100 Million No-Interest Loan

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko today thanked the Swedish government for a $100 million loan for Kiev's cash-strapped economy, one piece of a multi billion dollar package the country needs to avoid collapse.

"The government of Sweden has taken the decision to provide a $100 million loan to Ukraine," Poroshenko said in a joint press conference with Swedish premier Stefan Loefven who is on a visit to the Ukrainian capital.

"The Swedish government is taking care of the interest on this loan themselves," Poroshenko said, thanking Loefven for the decision and calling Sweden "a true friend of Ukraine" though without immediately clarifying the details of the loan.

Ukraine's international partners are expected to put together an aid package worth around $40 billion over four years.

The cornerstone of that would be an IMF bailout of $17.5 billion over the next four years, with the IMF expected to make a decision later Wednesday over the funding.

Poroshenko voiced confidence in a positive outcome.

"I am sure that today there will be a positive decision (on the IMF loan)," Poroshenko said. "Today it will be a historical decision."

Analysts have said Ukraine has but a few months before its economy collapses, making the loan a crucial lifeline. Kiev says it has met all the requirements to qualify for the bailout by pushing through a package of draconian reforms in recent weeks which included tripling the price of gas for households.

The austerity measures come on top of an already crippled economic base where a lot of the country's industrial core in the east has either stopped working or was physically destroyed in the fighting with pro-Russia separatists.

Last week Ukraine's central bank considerably hiked its base interest rate to 30 percent to stem further depreciation of a plummeting hryvnia and combat inflation.

"When I am asked how much financial assistance I expect, I say -- the more the better," said Poroshenko. "The total package being put together to help Ukraine... should be over $40 billion today."