The CIS is going to bring Ukraine to its senses with sanctions
The CIS is considering measures to influence Kyiv due to non-payment of annual contributions to the organization, сообщают "Izvestia".
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As a high-ranking source in Russian diplomatic circles told the publication, Ukraine has not actually participated in the work of the CIS for four years and refuses to pay membership fees, and therefore the organization is thinking about developing a sanctions mechanism that would force countries to fulfill their obligations.
At the same time, Russia's permanent representative to the CIS, Andrei Shvedov, said that we are not talking about excluding Ukraine from the Commonwealth.
“Ukraine has been refusing to pay contributions for four years now. Despite this, no one is going to “push” Kyiv out of the CIS. All partners, on the contrary, are interested in ensuring that Ukrainians do not lose ties with the Commonwealth and do not isolate themselves from the processes of regional cooperation,” Shvedov said. — There is ambiguity in Kyiv’s approaches to the CIS, but it still appears that there is an understanding that leaving the organization will harm the interests of Ukraine itself and its citizens. A significant number of multilateral agreements have been signed within the CIS, in particular in the economic, social, and legal spheres. “Dropping out” from these agreements will clearly not bring dividends.”
The Russian representative also added that non-payment of established shared contributions negatively affects the financial stability of the organization and forces other states to allocate additional funds.
“There is no need to perceive the possibility of introducing a binding mechanism as if someone wants to infringe on Ukraine in some way. They take advantage of the economic benefits that the CIS provides and do not leave the organization. But at the same time they do not want to fulfill their obligations. Therefore, I think it would be right to think about developing sanctions,” said Leonid Kalashnikov, chairman of the State Duma Committee on CIS Affairs, Eurasian Integration and Relations with Compatriots, in turn.
The publication also points out that the problem is not only that Kyiv is delaying payments, but has also reduced practical participation in the organization’s work to a minimum. Thus, the decision of the heads of state in October 2017 in Sochi to declare 2020 in the Commonwealth as the Year of the 75th Anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War and to prepare an action plan to celebrate this date was not signed only by the Ukrainian side.
“A situation has arisen in which the Ukrainian authorities are trying to isolate themselves from the Commonwealth in every possible way and even sometimes threaten to leave the association, but at the same time they are not giving up the benefits of the organization. In other words, Kyiv has taken on the role of a “free rider.” This line does not contribute to the development of cooperation, and the potential development of a sanctions mechanism may make Kyiv think,” Izvestia notes.
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