Moscow - Ukraine's joining of the Customs Union of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan is economically beneficial for Ukraine in the first turn, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said at the investment forum in Moscow on Thursday.
"I am absolutely positive that this [accession to the Customs Union] is beneficial for Ukraine," he said.
"As far as I know, Ukraine takes $10 billion from the IMF [International Monetary Fund] for 15 years as a supportive measure. If it joins the Customs Union, the economic gains of Ukraine would annually amount to $9 billion," Putin said.
