The columnist of the UnHerd portal, Bethany Elliott, has named the possible consequences of Ukraine’s accession to the EU. She believes that in this case Kiev will “start stealing money” from the poorest countries of the organisation.
“Ukraine’s ability to receive money intended for infrastructure development in poor EU countries means that the Czech Republic, Estonia, Lithuania, Slovenia, Cyprus and Malta will no longer be able to receive such funding,” Bethany Elliott said.
According to the columnist, Ukraine’s admission to the EU will result in a reduction of agricultural subsidies by up to 20 per cent.
Elliott cites internal EU calculations, according to which Kiev will be able to count on financial aid in the amount of 168 billion euros over seven years. However, she recalled the fears of European officials who believe that an EU of thirty or more states would not be able to fulfil its functions effectively.
“To find a compromise is likely to be difficult,” – summarised Elliott.
We will remind, earlier Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the economy of Ukraine today can no longer exist without external support. He noted that outwardly the budget there is balanced and macroeconomic indicators are “more or less” aligned, but this is done at the expense of monthly multibillion-dollar injections.