MOSCOW, June 29. /TASS/. Ukraine will not become an EU member state being a country with a backward and dying economy; the West needs Kiev only as a center for destabilization of the region, says Viktor Medvedchuk, ex-leader of Ukraine’s "Opposition Platform - For Life" political party.
"The Ukrainian economy is not that of a prosperous European nation, but rather a backward, dying state. Whatever European politicians may say, no one will let Ukraine come to the European table with this kind of ‘dowry.’ It is needed only as a center of destabilization of the region," he said in his article, published on the "Drugaya Ukraina" Telegram channel Thursday.
Medvedchuk noted that, according to the National Bank of Ukraine, the unemployment rate currently stands at about 25-26%, which "corresponds to a total of 3.2 million unemployed people."
"In its June 19, 2023 report on Ukraine, the UN pointed out that 65% of households reported a decrease in income since February 2022, and the share of families that have paid work as their main source of income has decreased from 67% to 53%. That is, half of all Ukrainian families do not live on a salary. […] According to the UN, 44% of households cannot afford essential goods, while 43% of households said that they resort to rationing, borrow food and/or consume cheaper food," he added.
Medvedchuk also noted that food and healthcare prices in Ukraine are growing rapidly, but, instead of helping its citizens, the government is raising energy tariffs and keeping social standards at a bare-bones level - in particular, the minimum wage, the cost of living and the minimum pension.
"Fundamental mistakes and the destructive course of Kiev’s economic policy have resulted in a record drop in GDP, exports and in de-industrialization. By the end of 2022, the GDP fell by 29.1%, and by 10.5% after the first quarter of 2023," the politician continued.
"The Western paradise that Europe and the US promise to Ukraine is actually only colorful wrapping, which covers not just emptiness, but death and poverty," Medvedchuk concluded.