The EU Bounces the Ukrainian Ball

Originally appeared at A-specto, translated by Borislav exclusively for SouthFront

The Dutch referendum is in no way something that has gone amok. It’s a symbolic sign of the intentions of the EU to postpone the association of Ukraine. Although seemingly causing panic in Brussels, the referendum actually prepares the Ukrainians for the change in the intentions of the EU. Pavel Klimkin’s “reassuring” statement points to that direction. He is the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine. He is not a coincidental person. Between 2004 and 2008 Klimkin was a person with the second highest rank in the Embassy of Ukraine in the UK, and earlier, in the late 90s he was in the same position in Germany.

Just before he became Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, right in the period from 2012 to 2014, Klimkin already had the highest position of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine in Germany. Since it is quite clear who and how arranges positions in Ukraine, it is easy to infer whose “speaker” is Pavel Klimkin. Suddenly, after the results of the Dutch referendum, Klimkin stated that Ukraine is moving towards a visa-free regime with the EU, regardless of the decision of the Union Association. “We have categorical assurances, that a visa-free regime is a completely separate thing, regardless of the association”. So said the Ukrainian Foreign Minister to the TV channel “Inter”.

A similar analgesic comment was made by Mark Rutte, Prime Minister of the Netherlands, as he assured Poroshenko that he supports the establishment of a visa-free regime for Ukraine. This botched attempt to sedate the Ukrainian public’s passions, suggests that the Ukrainians are screwed. Despite the burned tires, the shootings, the murdered, the Banderites and the “big break” with Russia, the Maidan proved to be completely meaningless. In all the 25 years of ‘independence’ the Ukraine can not regain its economic performance to the levels it had when it was a Soviet Republic, but in the last two years the Ukrainian losses are greater than all the losses the country had for a quarter century. Ever more European political figures claim that the Ukraine will never emerge from the fatal pit, if it does not restore ties with Russia.

Because without the Russian market, the economy of Ukraine went to a terrifying rapid de-industrialization and mass bankruptcies. Currently, the Ukrainians have the lowest GDP of all post-Soviet republics, their currency has been devalued three times in two years, half the banking system is destroyed, and the average salary is decreased by 28%. Some experts believe that only the interruption of economic relations with Russia has cost the Ukrainian economy at least $ 100 billion. And the accumulation of losses has not stopped, it continues. Since the Ukrainian government is a front for certain purposes, in Ukraine is driven a process of technological degradation and simplification of the economy. (So they can be like us, producing tomato chutney and mineral water. Because it turns out that not only heavy industries need the Russian market, but even light tourism)

Fundamentall simplification (or destruction) of the economy serves the transnational corporations, as well as the global forces that set the agenda on the planet. There is no place in the world for a huge number of rich countries. Therefore, we have a few rich countries, one hyper rich (though it has a pyramidal structure that eats it away), and all other countries that should be protectorates, serving as markets of foreign goods and a source of resources – natural, financial, intellectual, etc. Poroshenko has a harder time begging money from Europe and so he made an invitation to major Japanese businesses by offering some of the biggest sites in the Ukrainian economy, prepared for privatization .

Only a month before that, Poroshenko made the same invitation to Turkish investors. No serious investor, however, would put money in a country with such indicators – a puppet government, high corruption, civil war, lack of predictable legal environment, risk of crimes including solving conflicts through assassinations and so on. Not to mention that a company is bought along with its markets. and Ukrainian enterprises no longer have markets because the only ones were the Russian ones. Only 26% of Ukrainian exports are to the European Union. And so the Japanese sort of promised some compassionate help of maybe two billion dollars, but only in the form of credit. Recently, Ukrainian businessman Dmitry Firtash stated that for the full recovery of the economy, is needed the huge amount of around 300 billion dollars.

At present, the puppet government in Kiev has no resources to turn the game in favor of Ukraine. The rift between Russia and the collapsing Ukrainian state is so bloody that for the Ukrainians there is no return. The bad thing is that their way “forward” has just been closed. Even if they move to the almost forced Association, they would be deliberately endlessly deferred (delayed on the same scheme of the Turkish membership to the EU). It will be accompanied by so much extortion, forced changes in all spheres of social and economic life, requirements and whatnot, that the transition of Ukraine will take dozens of years during which the country will have virtually nothing to eat and live from. Of course, nobody in the West cares about Ukraine.

This whole thing with Ukraine is over control of its border territory with Russia. Even the attitude of Western countries toward Ukraine, again depends on the relations of those countries with Russia. Ukraine has not yet realized that it was abandoned. Fully and for a long time. It can be thrown, beaten, drugged, may be the subject of a transaction, because it simply does not have itself. It’s a toy in some foreign hands. And to talk of Ukrainian “independence” in any sense, is offensive to any thinking viewer. Independence means a high degree of self-sufficiency, and state literacy for organizing society. “We will not abandon the path of European integration. Ukraine and freedom can not be stopped “, Poroshenko said with a pathos. The Ukrainian President has still not understood. The Ukraine will not give up, but everyone is giving up on it.