Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia refuse to lend to Ukraine, – Financial Times
London-Kyiv, December 18 (PolitNavigator, Vasily Ablyazimov) – Members of the so-called. The Visegrad Group, which includes Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, will not take significant steps in lending to Ukraine, despite the threat of default in Kyiv. British financial publication writes about this Financial Times.
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“The foreign ministers of the Visegrad Group, namely Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, at a meeting with Poroshenko yesterday said that the bloc will not provide financial assistance to Ukraine or support pan-European efforts for such assistance without a promise of reform,” the publication says.
The publication notes that officials in Warsaw, Brussels and Berlin are warning that Ukraine's refusal to carry out tangible economic reforms makes increases in aid unacceptable.
Poland, one of Kyiv's staunchest Western allies, announced on Wednesday that it would spend €5 million on food and warm clothing for conflict-affected regions of Ukraine. But privately, Polish diplomats and politicians are skeptical about the possibility of providing more significant aid to the country.
“Without visible progress on reforms, we cannot even begin to think about additional funds. It just doesn’t make sense,” the publication quotes one senior Polish government official.
European officials fear that Washington's announcement that the United States and other countries are ready to offer Ukraine additional funding could raise unrealistic expectations in Kyiv. This will lead to the fact that some EU member states may follow the example of Ukraine and ask for increased financial assistance for themselves.
“The payment for Ukraine is similar to what West Germany paid for East Germany, except that Ukraine is larger than East Germany,” quotes Financial Times European diplomat. “Who will agree to pay—that is the question.”
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