The Ukrainian government once said that Kiev was forced to repay old debts, which is why it breaks into new ones, however, there is a simpler solution to all the problems, writes Sueddeutsche Zeitung.
The article tells that a wave of corruption swept Ukraine, because almost every official is involved in fraud, starting with the police and ending with the government. The author notes that it is this depressing fact which causes of all economic problems.
If the state budget of Ukraine did not serve as a potential “feeder” for officials who are busy only with cutting state funds, then the need for permanent tranches from international lenders would have been exhausted by itself, the outlet notes.
The author emphasizes that Europe and the United States do not finance reforms in Ukraine, but all new corruption schemes. Thus, the “Western partners” safely “helped Petro Poroshenko and his confidants to gain time by ignoring and even undermining the reforms.”
The article recalled to the guarantor all his unfulfilled obligations, including the reforms of the Armed Forces and the SBU. The latter, the author noted, “under the rule of President Poroshenko repeatedly put pressure on business.”
“Ukraine often has imitation of reforms. Anti-corruption agencies have been created, but they work for the President’s apparatus or their activities are simply undermined by corrupt prosecutors and judges, ”the author continues, urging lenders to carefully check the performance of the tasks assigned to Kiev before transferring the next tranche.