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Ukraine should become bridge between Russia and West, opposition leader says

According to Viktor Medvedchuk, Ukraine needs "Scandinavian-type" reforms

KIEV, January 29. /TASS/. Ukraine should become a bridge between the West, Russia and the countries of the Asia-Pacific region, as well as build a social democracy following the example of the Scandinavian countries, Viktor Medvedchuk, leader of the Ukrainian political party Opposition Platform - For Life said on Friday.

"Ukraine should become a bridge between Russia and the West, between the West and the countries of the Asia-Pacific region," he wrote in his Telegram channel.

"This is the meaning and the opportunities for the development of pragmatism in the economic sphere are about, not the fact that we signed the Association Agreement and the Free Trade Area Agreement (FTA) with the EU, when we actually destroyed the economy and continue to follow the path of its destruction," he added.

According to Medvedchuk, Ukraine needs "Scandinavian-type" reforms.

"The one they have today in Finland, Sweden," the politician believes. He advocated "building socialism or social democracy focused on the interests of the people" and not "building the wild capitalism," which, in his opinion, is now happening in Ukraine. According to him, the Ukrainian authorities should prioritize the development of the economy, healthcare and education, and the wellbeing of pensioners.

Ukrainian Prosecutor General Irina Venediktova said on October 8, 2021, that Medvedchuk was charged with state treason and assisting terrorist activities, because he was involved in supplies of coal from Donbass areas outside the Kiev governemnt’s control in late 2014 - early 2015, worth about $7.6 million.

In a separate development, Medvedchuk’s house and the office of his party were searched by police on May 11. Later, he was charged with high treason and "violation of laws and customs of war." He was placed under house arrest, and the measure has since been extended several times. Medvedchuk condemned the charges as politically motivated and ungrounded.

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