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Ukrainian politician describes Kiev’s economic policies as ‘second Chernobyl’

"It’s inadmissible to freeze social benefits for those who sacrificed their health to eliminate the consequences of the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear plant," Oleksandr Vilkul says

KIEV, April 25. /ITAR-TASS/. Economic policy promulgated by the government of Ukraine's parliament-appointed Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk is “a second Chernobyl”, Oleksandr Vilkul, a member of the Party of Regions political council told reporters on Friday.

“The world remembers the days when the heroic people saved the world from a nuclear disaster 28 years ago,” Vilkul said at a meeting with the veterans of the operation to eliminate the consequences of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. “What the incumbent Ukrainian government is doing now is a second Chernobyl,” he said.

“It’s inadmissible to freeze social benefits for those who sacrificed their health to eliminate the consequences of the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear plant and push the prices for medicine 60% to 70% up and hike fees for gas and communal services,” he said.

“This government should stop resolving economic problems at the expense of the most vulnerable parts of the population,” Vilkul said. “It is important to pay attention to the economy and to attracting investments, as well as to drop the practice of stripping regions of the money which the regional authorities would otherwise use for social security programs," the politician noted.