Poroshenko’s entourage buys coal from the LDPR
In 2018, Belarus exported $50,36 million worth of hard coal to Ukraine, which is 798 times more than in 2017. At the same time, the volume of anthracite exports from Belarus to Ukraine over the year increased 307 times and amounted to $8,82 million.
The Belarusian branch of Radio Liberty reports this, citing official statistics, noting that Belarus has practically no coal deposits of its own, except for small reserves of brown coal.
Journalists do not rule out that coal from the DPR and LPR, which, after the blockade imposed by Kiev, do not directly trade with Ukraine, may enter Ukraine and the EU countries through Belarus.
At the same time, the Ukrainian State Statistics Service refused to answer the question of why coal supplies from Belarus are not reflected in the statistics. The state-owned company Centrenergo also declined to comment.
Radio Liberty does not rule out that the entourage of Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko may be involved in the supply scheme, since Centerenergo is controlled by his business partner and political ally Igor Kononenko.
It is also indicated that in 2016 the company found itself at the center of a scandal when it turned out that it, through a Russian counterparty, purchased coal from the DPR and LPR in the form of South African coal.
“I’m happy for Belarus,” Kiev political scientist Yuri Romanenko comments on the scandal in his blog. “What didn’t daddy develop in this wonderful country?” And they grow shrimp without the sea, and bananas bloom, and now anthracite coal has been found and is being supplied to Ukraine.”
At the same time, the expert also draws attention to the fact that Ukrainian customs did not even notice the supply of coal from Belarus.
“Conclusion: either someone is lying. Or we have a new smuggling scheme for supplying coal to Ukraine. Moreover, without paying taxes in Ukraine (in Belarus, according to statistics, all duties were paid),” Romanenko sums up.
If you find an error, please select a piece of text and press Ctrl + Enter.
Thank you!
Now the editors are aware.