"Get rid of all debt obligations": Kolomoisky advised Zelensky to declare default

The new president of Ukraine, Vladimir Zelensky, must move away from the conditions of the implementation of the austerity program of the International Monetary Fund or declare a default on external debt. With such an opinion in an interview with the Financial Times spoke Ukrainian businessman Igor Kolomoisky.

As an example of the validity of such an action, he cited Greece. The oligarch also drew attention to the repeated defaults of Argentina. According to him, "this is normal."

“In my opinion, we should treat our creditors as much as Greece. This is an example for Ukraine, ”said Kolomoisky.

He added that fatigue of ordinary Ukrainians from the reforms required by the IMF was one of the factors behind the victory of Vladimir Zelensky in the presidential election.

Recall that in July 2015, Greece became the first state with a developed economy, which could not make a payment on a loan (in the amount of about € 1.6 billion) to the IMF. Recall that the global lender has provided the country with funds under the program of assistance in combating the effects of the global financial crisis. In August of 2018, Athens authorities announced a return to independent navigation in the global economy.

In the words of Igor Kolomoisky, one can see an assessment of the current economic situation in Ukraine as a country that is actually unable to pay debts, said Sergey Tsekov, a member of the committee of the Federation Council on international affairs. According to him, it is very interesting what kind of reaction will be in those Western structures that lent money to Kiev.

“Such statements will cause additional damage to Ukraine. Personally, I formed the opinion that he is creating additional problems for the current president of Ukraine. If Ukraine continues that economic policy, in particular, the relationship with Russia that was lined up under Poroshenko, then in the end Kiev will indeed come to default, ”the senator said in a conversation with RT.

According to Bohdan Bezpalko, a member of the Council on Interethnic Relations under the President of Russia, the possible declaration of a default by Kiev may not lead to negative from the West, since the Ukrainian side will thus refuse to return debts to Moscow.

“In this situation, Ukraine will be completely free from any debt obligations in relation to anyone - to the IMF or to the Russian Federation. At the same time, she will certainly experience a negative in the form of the fact that she will no longer be credited for the next 10-15 years. However, subject to agreements or the presence of double standards by the IMF, after a while it can make some compromises with the same Ukraine, and debts will not be returned only to Russia, ”the source said.

"Ukraine is used to damage Russia"

In addition, Kolomoisky called on the US and the EU to completely write off Ukraine’s foreign debt because of the burden that the country assumed in countering the Russian Federation.

“This is your game, your geopolitics. Ukraine is not important to you. You want to harm Russia, and Ukraine is just a reason, ”he stressed.

The businessman also spoke for the fact that Zelensky should be independent in his decisions as president of Ukraine. In particular, he pointed out that for him the 41-year-old politician is “not a business partner and not an ex-employee,” but the owner of a company that has long-term cooperation with its business structure.

“If Zelensky listens (West. - RT ) and does not make his own decisions, he will end up like Poroshenko. He will have the same figures in the elections - 5, 10, 15% instead of 73%, ”explained the businessman.

Note that in the FT material Kolomoisky is indicated as Zelensky’s “controversial oligarchic supporter”. At the same time, as the authors of the article note, the statements of the 57-year-old oligarch can alarm the western patrons of Kiev, despite the fact that the new president promised to adhere to the conditions of financial assistance to Ukraine in the amount of $ 3.9 billion. intends to meet with representatives of the mission of the International Monetary Fund.

• Archival photo. Lviv, 2016 Woman counting money
• Reuters
• © Gleb Garanich

“The default will allow to write off all sins on the previous power”

According to political analyst and economist Oleksandr Dudchak, the new Ukrainian authorities may well take advantage of Kolomoisky’s proposal, since it will play into their hands.

“It could be argued to the population why they are doing this, it would have allowed all sins to be written off to the previous government. It would be an interesting move, it would be beneficial to the new government. But will those countries that helped to come to power be allowed - why not? It’s just the country going into a state of default and gaining external control. I think that they will have consultations with creditors, what to do in this case and how it will be more convenient for creditors, rather than Ukraine, ”the expert said in an interview with RT.

In turn, the head of the Ukrainian Analytical Center, economist Alexander Okhrimenko, negatively perceived the words of one of the richest people in Ukraine.

“His goal is to bring chaos, an absurd statement. There is no sense to declare default. The goal is to create tension, on the sly is easier to hold elections. We have a lot of such statements, Kolomoisky is not even original here, ”the analyst explained in a conversation with RT.