white house: Ukraine-russia deal will not appease protesters

The White House said Tuesday that an agreement by Russia to send $15 billion to Ukraine will not address the concerns of tens of thousands of Ukrainian protesters seeking an accord to move closer to the European Union (EU). Spokesman Jay Carney said White House officials had not seen details of the agreement, in which Russia agreed to purchase $15 billion in Ukrainian government debt. But he said any such agreement does not address the concerns of Ukrainian demonstrators who are protesting against President Viktor Yanukovich, who is accused of rejecting a trade deal with the EU in favor of concessions from Russia. "We urge the Ukrainian government to listen to its people and to find a way to restore a path to the peaceful, just, democratic, and economically prosperous European future to which Ukrainian citizens aspire," Carney told reporters.