Moscow - The economy of independent Ukraine was actually built with Russia's support, and it is quite possible that the country is about to face a default on its debts and a total socioeconomic collapse, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has opined.
“Indeed, every step Russia takes can be interpreted in a totally negative way – ‘expansion,’ ‘dependency’ – and this is what they have actually been doing.
The fact that this is the question of jobs, salaries of Ukrainian citizens and
taxes paid to the Ukrainian budget is being ignored. But the truth is that the
economy of independent Ukraine was built much thanks to Russia’s support. And
the sum of Russian investment, preferential loans and deliveries has topped one
hundred billion dollars,” Medvedev wrote in his opinion piece, “Russia and
Ukraine: Living by New Rules,” published by Nezavisimaya Gazeta on Dec. 15.
“Ukraine saved more than $82.7 billion on low gas prices alone,” the Russian
premier underlined.
“None of the other republics of the former Soviet Union had enjoyed such
support. We were not just helping the Ukrainian economy; one can say that we
actually provided for it. Kyiv could have hardly received such gifts for decades
from any other country but Russia,” Medvedev pointed out.
“Regretfully, the Ukrainian administration inadequately understood that
economic reality,” the premier admitted.
“The outgoing year will go down into Ukrainian history as one of the most
difficult and tragic,” Medvedev said.
“It seems our neighbors are going to face the 1990s all over again.
Unfortunately, the problem of default and, on a larger scale, the looming threat
of social and economic collapse in Ukraine, is not some fiction made up by
‘Kremlin’ or some other political strategists,” Medvedev wrote, mentioning that
“Russia holds a sizable part of the debt package.”
“Over the recent time alone Russia invested about $33 billion in Ukraine –
bank capital, loans and money of Gazprom,” Medvedev said.
Ukrainian elites are telling themselves and the people that “all will be
well” thanks to “the European choice, the Association Agreement with the
European Union and “independence” from Russia,” the Russian premier wrote. At
the same time, “many problems of Ukraine started exactly when the Kyiv
administration clearly motivated by the Western partners started talking about
the need to reduce the proverbial dependence on Russia,” he said.
