Ukraine security crisis weighs down economic reforms - IMF's Lagarde

International Monetary Fund Managing Director Christine Lagarde speaks at the Banque Centrale des Etats de Afrique in Dakar January 30, 2015. REUTERS/Stephen Jaffe/IMF Staff Photograph Handout via Reuters

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde said on Wednesday that an infusion of financial support for Ukraine and its impact largely hinges on how the security crisis over Russia's actions in Ukraine is resolved.

In an interview on MSNBC, the International Monetary Fund's managing director said the fighting in eastern Ukraine, where pro-Russia separatists have been battling the government, is a huge distraction in efforts to reform the country's economy.