MOSCOW, Feb. 27 - Russia's VTB is suspending new lending in Ukraine, the bank's chief, Andrei Kostin, told a press conference.

Kostin said the bank had decided "not to provide new money" in Ukraine to retail and corporate borrowers alike.

"We really aren't disbursing loans to companies," he said. Asked whether loans to private individuals had dried up too, he said, generally speaking, yes.