MOSCOW, August 24. /TASS/. Head of Russia’s State Duma International Affairs Committee Alexey Pushkov has called "ironic" the celebration of Ukraine’s Independence Day in connection with the high degree of the country’s dependence on the outside world and Western loans.
"Frankly speaking, the celebration of [Ukraine’s] Independence Day looks quite ironic, even though I understand that [Ukrainian President Petro] Poroshenko does not feel this irony," the lawmaker told the Russian News Service on Monday. "There has not been greater extent of Ukraine’s dependence on the outside world, on Western lenders, on the United States over the past 25 years of Ukraine’s existence as an independent country."
According to Pushkov, Kiev should be more realistic and realize that in the context of the conflict with Russia Ukraine will be able neither to rebuild its economy nor to strengthen its independence. He also noted that Kiev should be more realistic in assessing the prospects for reviving the country’s economy under the conditions when Ukraine is on the verge of default and does not have the financial and investment resources.
Celebrations are held across Ukraine on Monday in connection with Independence Day, which is marked for the second time amid the military operation in the east of the country.